10 protesting roadways employees booked for attempt to murder, 25 others sacked

The police have slapped attempt-to-murder charge against 10 protesting roadways employees for allegedly attacking an Inspector and trying to burn him alive during violence in Sangrur on Friday. Meanwhile, as stalemate continued between the PRTC contractual employees and the management over the opening of tenders for the kilometre-based bus scheme, services of around 25 union members were terminated on Saturday.

The murder bid case was registered against the protesting contractual PRTC staffers following a complaint by Inspector Jasvir Singh Toor. On Friday, PRTC employees, some of whom had climbed atop parked buses, threw petrol on police officials and the complainant’s uniform had caught fire. His colleagues, however, managed to rescue him.

Ten protesters have been booked under Sections 109 (murder bid), 124(1) (causing grievous hurt using acid), 132 (use of criminal force against a public servant), 121(1) (voluntarily causing grievous injuries to deter a public servant from performing his duty) and other provisions of the BNS.

Meanwhile, commuters continued to face inconvenience on Saturday due to the strike by contractual employees of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company Limited (PUNBUS) and the Punjab Roadways.

“I have to attend a marriage in Gurdaspur, but I have been stranded at Patiala for the past two hours. Even yesterday, no bus was available for Gurdaspur,” said Harjot Kaur, a passenger.

Sources say the strike has caused losses worth crores to the state government. “We have issued notices to employees observing strike. Services of those involved in Friday’s violence in Sangrur and Patiala have been terminated,” said PRTC MD Bikramjit Singh Shergill.

“In case the striking employees do not join duty, we will appoint those on the waiting list and ensure the public does not continue to face inconvenience,” he added.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) convener and BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal and BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) general secretary Kaka Singh Kotra on Saturday came out in support of the bus union members.

“The state government has failed to add even a single new bus to the Punjab Roadways fleet and those plying are in bad shape. By opting for the kilometre scheme, the government is opening the door for private players to loot Punjabis,” said Dallewal. Their unions would support the roadways staff on strike, he added.

Five workers fired in Muktsar

Bathinda: Protests by contractual PUNBUS and PRTC employees continued at multiple locations on Saturday. In Muktsar, services of five contractual PUNBUS workers were terminated. Sources said they had been issued two notices to report on duty. Meanwhile, sources claimed the action was being initiated against six more employees as well. In Bathinda, five protesters were sent to jail following their detention during Friday's demonstration, said Kulwant Singh, a union leader. TNS