NO MOVE TO PRIVATISE ROADWAYS: MINISTER

CHANDIGARH: Haryana transport minister Krishan Lal Panwar has said the state government is taking all possible steps, including putting more buses on different routes, to ensure that passengers do not face any difficulty due the strike by some employees of the Haryana Roadways.

“There is no proposal to privatise roadways services. Presently, about 500 buses of the department and 950 buses of cooperative societies are plying smoothly in the state. I am in constant touch with officers and the state government is making concerted efforts to ensure that the people do not face any inconvenience”, the minister said in a statement.

He said the drivers recruited in 2018 are on probation and action would be initiated against them if they go on strike. If any employee who is on probation joins the strike, his services could be terminated, the minister added.

Reacting to the decision of the unions to go on strike, Panwar said he had held a meeting with office-bearers of workers’ unions 15 days ago where 33 out of their 34 demands were accepted, and the office-bearers had also thanked chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and the state government.

On the allegation levelled by unions leaders that the state government would hire 720 private buses and carry out privatisation of the department, the minister clarified that privatisation is not on the table.