222 PRTC buses arranged for AAP supporters to attend Bhagwant Mann’s swearing-in

Karam Prakash

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Patiala, March 16

Disregarding the perceived image of the ‘government with a difference’, 222 Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) buses had been used to ferry Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters for the swearing-in ceremony of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann—at Khatkar Kalan, on Wednesday.

Consequently, passengers – on some routes – had to suffer, owing to a cut in frequency of buses. However, senior PRTC officials claimed that they did all they could to minimise the impact of the situation.

On Sunday, 443 PRTC buses had been roped in from all the PRTC depots to transport AAP supporters in a road show in Amritsar, wherein AAP Delhi Chief Minister and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann participated. Taking a dig, senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra had then termed the AAP’s decision to rope in PRTC buses as “sheer misuse” of the official machinery.

Parneet Shergill, Managing Director, on being asked about roping in PRTC buses to ferry AAP supporters, said, “We had already planned to minimise the impact, and not much inconvenience was caused to the passengers because of the CM’s function.”

When asked about the payment to the PRTC for providing bus service for both the events — road show on Sunday and today’s swearing in, Shergill said, “So far, no payment has been made by the government. We will ask for the payment.”