Transport unions to join Bharat bandh call today

SHIMLA: The public and private transport services in the state are set to be paralysed tomorrow as the joint action committee of transport unions of private taxis and bus operators and the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) today decided to join the all India bandh call given by the trade unions, banks, BSNL, farmers’ organisations and various other unions against the Centre’s liberalisation and privatisation policies.

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 1

The public and private transport services in the state are set to be paralysed tomorrow as the joint action committee of transport unions of private taxis and bus operators and the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) today decided to join the all India bandh call given by the trade unions, banks, BSNL, farmers’ organisations and various other unions against the Centre’s liberalisation and privatisation policies.

Though some schools in the city have declared a holiday tomorrow in view of the compete bandh call, others remain apprehensive about the call even as the coordination committee of the trade unions have shot off letters to schools across the state saying that no buses or taxis would ply on the roads tomorrow because of the bandh.

“We have sent letters to schools across the state informing them about the bandh as no buses and taxis will ply in the state,” said Vijendra Mehra, coordinator of the joint coordination committee of trade unions.

“We will try to ply as many buses as we can tomorrow,” said Ashok Tiwari, managing director, HRTC. “We have received a letter of the joint action committee of drivers and conductors about the strike call saying that they will not operate buses in the state,” he added.

The coordinators said they would stage a protest in front of the offices of the DCs and SDMs across the state against polices of the Central government.

“CITU, HMS, AITUC, INTUC, BSNL unions, insurance, banks unions and other central and state unions have formed a joint coordination committee to make the bandh successful,” Mehra said.

“As transport will come to a halt, farmers will desert sabji mandis across the state in protest tomorrow,” said Rakesh Singha and Dr Kuldip Tanwar of the HP Apple Growers Association and the Himachal Kisan Sabha, respectively.

“The farmers will observe a ‘dehaat bandh’ against the failure the government to bail out farmers from the crash in fruit and vegetable markets,” they added.

Meanwhile, the HRTC MD said they had set control rooms headed by a nodal officer which would work 24 hours in view of the strike call. “Regional managers will also establish a control room at each bus stands for 24 hours to facilitate people,” he added.