Haryana bus strike fizzles out, protesting workers held under ESMA
Chandigarh, September 5
A strike call given by the employees of state-owned Haryana Roadways fizzled out on Wednesday after policemen rounded up protesting workers in pre-dawn action at several bus depots.
The workers were held for defying the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), invoked by the Haryana government to foil the one-day strike against a move to allow private buses run within and from the state.
"The public transport is plying normally in the state. Several of those employees who defied ESMA are now saying they want to return to work," Haryana Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar Panwar claimed.
However, some union leaders claimed the strike had its impact at many depots including Rohtak, Rewari and Narnaul and services were affected.
Union leaders had halted bus services at some depots on Tuesday night but they were restored in the morning, officials said.
The police rounded up several employees early in the morning, including union leaders, at the depots to foil protests.
They resorted to a mild lathicharge at some depots, including Fatehabad and Jind, as some employees sat on dharna at the main gates to stop buses from leaving.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were imposed at some places to prevent the assembly of more than four people.
Police said several Roadways employees were detained for defying these orders.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on Tuesday directed the state government to carry out videography at each Haryana Roadways depot in view of the proposed strike.
The court had also directed the government to take appropriate action under the ESMA against the striking employees.
A single-judge bench had passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by some private bus operators who alleged harassment by the Roadways unions.
Haryana Roadways Employees Union president Dalbir Kirmara was among those detained by the police in Hisar on Wednesday.
He had earlier said the government was adamant on introducing 700 private buses on various routes, which was being opposed by the union.
Union leaders claimed that some workers suffered minor injuries in Wednesday's police action.
Employees sat on dharnas at Fatehabad, Jind, Hisar, Ambala, Tohana, Sirsa, and Panchkula.
The Haryana government had on August 30 invoked the ESMA for six months, barring bus workers from going on the planned strike.
While the government termed the planned strike "unjustified", the opposition Indian National Lok Dal had earlier slammed the move to invoke the ESMA.
The Roadways employees have gone on strike earlier during the past year as well. - PTI
