Roadways staff write to EC over buses to Patna Sahib

Gagandeep Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 1

After the PRTC workers decided not to let their buses ferry devotees from Punjab to Patna Sahib to witness the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the Punjab Roadways’ workers today approached the Election Commission against the state government’s move.

Roadways’ workers, under the banner of the Punjab Government Transport Workers Union, claimed to have written to the Election Commission stating that the move of the Punjab Government would not only financially deteriorate the Punjab Transport System but hundreds of routes of Punjab Roadways and the PRTC would get disrupted, which would hit commuters, including students and government employees.

They have urged the Election Commission to stop this as it was an act to woo voters ahead of the elections.

Jagdish Chahal, general secretary to the union, said, “As many as 210 buses from Punjab Roadways and almost the same proportion of the PRTC buses have been spared free of cost, yet no fund has been provided to the Punjab Roadways and the PRTC so far. The decision has been taken in haste without acknowledging rules and regulations.”

Chahal said no special checking of buses had been conducted to prevent any unpleasant incident. “By making the excuse of poor financial condition, the Punjab Government has not provided workers with DA arrears, uniforms and other welfare tasks for the workshop and workers. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government itself has decided to weaken the financial condition of Punjab Roadways,” he added.