HT explainer: Why are Haryana Roadways employees on strike?
Already in the red, the Haryana Roadways is understaffed with inadequate number of buses.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded across Haryana on Thursday, the third day of the roadways employees’ strike against the government’s move to induct 700 private buses, forcing the state transport department to suspend long-route bus service. The strike has cost the state ₹8 crore so far.
What’s the issue?
Already in the red, the Haryana Roadways is understaffed with inadequate number of buses. Officials say it has 17,000 employees and 7,000 vacancies. It has only 4,100 buses. Given the demand, the state needs 15,000 buses and 80,000 employees to cater to the population of 2.5 crore. With this in mind, the government decided to rope in 700 buses from private players.
What employees want?
Employee union leaders Harinarayan Sharma and Sarbat Singh Punia say inducting private buses is a step towards privatisation. They say that government, which spends about ₹35 a km on a bus, is favouring a chosen few by giving them ₹49 a km. The union leaders want the government to buy new buses and fill the 7,000 vacancies. They say 500 buses are lying unused for want of drivers or conductors. They said the government’s emergency recruitment drive was a delayed exercise. They sought a rollback of the private buses scheme and withdrawal of cases against employees.
Haryana govt’s stand
Dhanpat Singh says roping in private buses on public-private partnership (PPP) mode is in employees’ interest. Private operators will run new buses and have their own drivers, while conductors will be Haryana Roadways employees, who will submit the receipts to the government. This means more jobs.
While the department spends ₹49 a km, the private permits have been given from ₹31 to ₹39 a km, hence the profit. The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought strict compliance of Esma, prompting chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to order the suspension of all employees on strike.
