Farmers protest outside Rampur ISBT over discontinued bus routes

Ashish Negi

Rampur, July 15

Farmers protested today outside the Rampur ISBT under the banner of the Himachal Kisan Sabha. The farmers said that on Sundays, Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses did not run on nearly a dozen routes in the Nirmand sub-division adjacent to Rampur. They added that the sub-division was served by only two routes. They also protested the cancellation of the evening bus service to the Tunan area.

Addressing the protesters, Devki Nand, president of the Kisan Sabha (Nirmand block) stated that the lack of morning and evening bus services to Tunan was causing significant inconvenience to residents.

They stated that they had raised the issue with the state government and the transport corporation, but had received nothing more than assurances.

The Kisan Sabha demanded that all Sunday-closed routes be restored to their regular schedule. Following discussions between the protesters and officials concerned, an agreement was reached, and the latter promised to notify the corporation and the state government about the Tunan bus issue and would try resolving it within ten days.

The protesters warned that if the issue was not resolved within ten days, they would intensify the agitation. Transport corporation officials assured the farmers that the matter would be raised with the government, and buses would be dispatched on the routes where services were halted on Sunday in a phased manner.