Buses ferry security staff, people suffer

ROHTAK : With more than 50% of buses with the Jind depot requisitioned to ferry forces guarding BJP national president Amit Shah’s Friday rally in the district, locals are having a tough time in organising their daily travel. Movement of buses on longer routes has almost completely stopped, while fewer buses are plying on local routes. This is also causing heavy losses to the Haryana Roadways, a government-run enterprise.

“The depot has 102 running buses, out of which the forces are using 53. Today itself, we sent 10 more buses. Bus movement to Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Punjab and Rajasthan has completely stopped. Some local routes have also been affected. The depot is facing a loss of ₹5.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh everyday due to this requisitioning,” a duty clerk at the depot said.

A Haryana Roadways official said 53 buses from Jind depot were sent to Jammu, Pilibhit, Delhi, Kullu etc to bring the paramilitary forces. The buses will be used by the forces till February 20 as Jats are set to observe Balidaan Divas on February 18.

This is not the first time that Shah’s rally has caused inconvenience to residents.

Last year, when the BJP chief had come for a three-day visit to Rohtak, several schools were forced to declare a holiday.

‘LAW AND ORDER IS PRIORITY’

Jind depot general manager Ashwani Malik said there was no inconvenience to commuters. “We have cancelled buses to only those routes that are connected via other depots. Local routes have not been hit. Right now, the priority is maintaining law and order.”