Haryana staff strike fizzles out From Tribune reporters CHANDIGARH, Sept 16 — Due to the massive police bandobast and the invoking of ESMA by the Haryana Government, the one-day token strike by state employees today did not have much impact on the normal life in the state. Barring certain pockets, the strike failed to evoke any appreciable response.

A deserted transformer workshop of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam at Dhulkot in Ambala district on Wednesday. — A Tribune photo

Offices of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam recorded a large number of absentees at some places.

According to Chief Minister Bansi Lal, power employees disrupted supply from four sub-stations out of the 2,200 sub-stations in the state. Two of the sub-stations where the power supply was disrupted were in his own assembly constituency, Tosham, in Bhiwani district. The supply from all four sub-stations was restored later.

An employee leader told TNS that power supply could not be disrupted because of the heavy police arrangements.

A resident of Ambala Cantonment, Mr D.N. Sharma, remarked: "Today the power supply is abnormally normal. I wish the employees are on strike everyday."

A senior officer of the Nigam said usually on the strike days we request our sources of power to be considerate towards the state on these days.

In Transformer and Switchgear Repair Workshop at Dhulkot, near Ambala, 147 employees out of 225 were on strike. Similarly, in the general workshop there, 122 employees out of 273 were on strike. However, in the office of the Chief Engineer (Workshops), Dhulkot, and Transformer and Switchgear Workshop, Faridabad, the attendance was 100 per cent.

Haryana Roadways buses plied normally. An official spokesman said here that the strike had failed to make any impact in the state as the number of absentees in government offices was very low and essential services remained normal throughout the state.

He said as the government had already banned the strike and invoked ESMA, action would be taken against the strikers as per law. The principle of "no work, no pay" would be followed, he added.

Though not many employees joined the strike, fearing strong action by the government, their sympathy with the agitators was open. Even constables, posted on security duty, made no secret of their leanings.

Employees will hold a state-level meeting at Bhiwani on September 19, according to a report from Delhi. The meeting will be held at the electricity board office where the future course of action and the measures to intensify the stir would be decided.

AMBALA: About 32 per cent employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam observed strike in the district on Wednesday on a call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh. The rest of the offices functioned normally. Power supply was not affected.

KURUKSHETRA: The police rounded up 114 employees here on Wednesday in view of the strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh.

The District Magistrate imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr PC in the district. According to sources, 40 per cent employees observed strike in the district and no untoward incident was reported.

YAMUNANAGAR: Tyres of 35 buses were deflated and hosepipe of a bus was broken on Wednesday in a strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh. Mr Inder Dutt Sharma, president, Haryana State Electricity Board Workers Union, said here that 80 per cent of the employees had gone on strike.

On the other hand, Mr Rajiv Sharma, Officiating Deputy Commissioner, said there was poor response to the strike call in the district, and that the work in all departments went on smoothly.

FATEHABAD: The strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh evoked poor response here on Wednesday. Work in almost all government departments went on as usual. The Haryana Roadways buses plied without much hindrance. Some employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam abstained from work but the power supply continued unaffected. The water supply by the Public Health Department was also not affected.

Meanwhile, the strike evoked a partial response at Tohana.

JIND: Strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh evoked little response in the district on Wednesday. All offices of the state government, except the Haryana Viduyat Prasaran Nigam and the Haryana Roadways, functioned normally.

There was regular supply of water and electricity in the towns of the district. The administration took 59 employees into custody as a preventive measure.

PANIPAT: The strike call given by the Sarv Karamchari Mahasangh evoked poor response in the district on Wednesday. Power supply and water services functioned normally. Haryana Roadways buses plied as usual. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

ROHTAK: The strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh evoked a partial response in Rohtak and Jhajjar districts on Wednesday.

The strike failed to make any impact on power or drinking water supply in the district.

Haryana Roadways buses plied as usual. The police arrested nine more employees' leaders, bringing total arrests to 27. While five of the arrested belong to the HVPN, remaining are activists of the Roadways Workers Union.

SONEPAT: The one-day strike call given by the Sarv Karamchari Mahasangh and other employees unions evoked poor response here and in other parts of the district on Wednesday.

A large number of employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Board turned up for their duty by ignoring the strike call.

The Haryana Roadways buses also plied on all routes as usual and employees turned up for duty in a normal way.

HISAR: There was a poor response to the strike call of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh here on Wednesday. Attempts to disrupt traffic and bus service at the local bus stand by some Roadways employees were thwarted by the police.

FARIDABAD: The police on Wednesday arrested 114 striking employees of the Haryana Government who were obstructing buses at Palwal, 30 km from here, on the Delhi-Mathura national highway. Reports said no bus originated from Palwal.

A large number of employees of the Excise and Taxation Department here went on strike. Nearly 3 per cent of the electricity staff particularly in Hathin, Palwal and thermal plant, also abstained from work.

GURGAON: The strike call given by the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh evoked poor response in the district. Thirtyfive persons were arrested in the district for demonstrating and raising anti-government slogans.