‘Orbit, New Deep transport companies have virtual monopoly in state’

Bharat Khanna

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 2

After the Moga molestation incident in an Orbit bus, there has been a lot of hue and cry over the issue with the opposition and other political parties speaking in one voice against the control of transport by the ruling Badal family that is known to have managed the transport business in Punjab along with a few other private transporters who have also been given key political posts.

Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and his family are known to be the co-owners of Orbit Aviation Transport and Dabwali Transport Private Limited companies whereas Deep Transport, owned by the SAD (B) Gidderbaha in-charge-cum-chairman, Muktsar Planning Board, enjoys monopoly on different routes.

New Deep Transport is turning into one of the largest bus transport companies in Punjab, having luxurious AC coaches such as Isuzu (SML), Lexia (Sutlej) and Hispano (TATA) along with regular buses, with routes covering all major cities and towns, and is based in Gidderbaha, Muktsar.

Besides, there are other transporters, though a very few, who have improved their transport business within years of Badal’s rule in Punjab apart from gaining different political and administrative posts.

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, who is SAD (B) Halqa in-charge of Gidderbaha assembly constituency, was also awarded the post of chairman for the District Planning Board, Muktsar, merely six months ago. Hardeep Dimpy and family own Deep and New Deep Transport that, too, had bloomed like Sukhbir’s ‘own transport company’.

The SAD (B) came to power in 2007. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and family, along with his associates, increased its transport business and buses seven times then in 2007 when Sukhbir owned less than 40 buses in Punjab.

Besides being the co-owner of the Dabwali Transport Company (DTC) and Orbit Transport - Sukhbir Badal and his associates today have direct and indirect interests in a number of transport companies, including Taj Travels, Hargobind Travels Private Limited, Shan-E-Punjab and Indo-Canadian Transport Company.

Harbans Bhola, president of the PRTC Workers Union (Azaad), Bathinda, said, “On a number of important and income generating routes like Chandigarh, Amritsar and Ludhiana, the private buses known to be of Badal family and associates do not allow the PRTC buses to ply. Timing of the PRTC buses is set in between the two buses ‘of Badal family’ following which the PRTC bus keep waiting at the stand while its time is forcibly consumed by the private buses known to be of Badals.

A number of our buses are forcibly stopped on important routes and we had protested against this numerous times but to no avail. Out of total 216 timings of Abohar to Malout route about 75 are with Orbit aviation and other transport companies of Badal family. From Malout these buses takes to other different routes.”