ISBT blocked again, commuters suffer

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 4

The four-hour long blockade of the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) concluded by burning the effigy of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh here on Wednesday.

The blockade brought the movement of buses to a halt.

Called by the Theka Mulazam Sangharsh Morcha, contractual workers employed at various government offices took part in it.

Raising slogans against the government, they alleged that the Congress-run government was no different from the erstwhile SAD-BJP combine. They accused Finance Minister Manpreet Singh of ignoring employees during the entire tenure of the Congress rule in the state.

Kuljit Singh, president, Punbus Contractual Workers’ Union, said there were nearly 400 contractual workers in the district, who have been working on contract for the last nearly four to 12 years. He recalled that about 1,600 contractual workers had managed to clear the written examination in 2015 and were assured that they would be regularised after three years of service. It was not the case, he said, adding that even after the lapse of nearly six years, they had not been regularised.

Hira Singh, another leader, said those buses of Punbus which managed to pay off loans were merged in the Punjab Roadways, but the same rule is not applicable for the staff. Buses under the Punjab Roadways are driven by regular staff and there are no contractual workers under it.

Though the government did not make any alternate arrangement of buses for ferrying passengers, private transporters pressed their buses into service close to the ISBT to ferry passengers.

Meanwhile, all public dealing works came to a halt at the Deputy Commissioner’s office as well as its nearly 111 employees under the patronage of DC Office Employees’ Union went to take part in the protest outside the residence of Revenue Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar in Bathinda on Wednesday. Asunil Kumar, a union leader, said their strike had been extended by two days till August 6. He said the government was not honouring their demands and they have been protesting for the last two months.