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Hans India
36 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Punjab: Contractual employees of state-run buses go off road; commuters hit
Chandigarh: Commuters across Punjab faced inconvenience as contractual employees of the state-owned Punjab Roadways, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), and Punbus went on an indefinite strike on Thursday against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP government, demanding the regularisation of contractual employees and addressing their long-standing issues. Protestors did not allow buses of Punjab Roadways and Punbus to ply in several towns and cities. The worst affected places were Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Moga. Nearly 8,000 employees of Punjab Roadways, PRTC and Punbus were on strike. Bus services on inter-state routes and within the state were affected, officials said. Harkesh Kumar, senior vice-president of the PRTC, Punbus and Punjab Roadways contract workers unions, said apart from scrapping tenders under the kilometre scheme for private players, the unions had alleged that Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar had failed to fulfil their demands. After Wednesday, the government called for another round of meetings with union leaders here on Thursday to end the dialogue. The protesters held demonstrations at 27 bus depots, raising slogans against the government. Kumar threatened to gherao Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during the state-level Independence Day function in Faridkot. 'Our demands are simple. We urge the government to regularise all contractual staff and end the draconian guidelines.' Government functionary Jasdeep Singh Lalli said while PRTC operates 1,200 buses, Punjab Roadways has around 1,600, and no new buses have been added to the PRTC fleet in the past four years. He said the government pays taxes for routes of 5,000 km each month where no buses are currently operating. Another union leader, Shamsher Singh, said, 'The department hasn't credited our monthly salaries. How are we supposed to celebrate the festival without our dues? They claim the funds have been released, but nothing has reached our accounts.'
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
1.5-hour PRTC strike leaves Ludhiana commuters hassled
Hundreds of commuters heading to their homes for Raksha Bandhan, found themselves stranded on Friday afternoon after contractual staff of Punjab Roadways, PRTC, and Punbus went on an impromptu strike, abruptly halting state-run bus operations across the state. The stranded commuters at Ludhiana bus stand during the strike on Friday. (Manish/HT) The strike, under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contractual Workers Union, which lasted from 2 pm to 3.30 pm, brought state-run bus operations to a halt, severely disrupting travel plans ahead of the festival. The union called off the strike after receiving a confirmation for a meeting with the state transport authorities on August 13. The disruption, which took place at Ludhiana bus stands already brimming with passengers, added chaos to an already crowded and festive atmosphere. With the humid weather intensifying the discomfort, passengers, particularly women, were seen frantically rushing between platforms in search of limited private buses. Among the stranded was 55-year-old Kulwinder Kaur, who was trying to reach Moga. 'I was waiting for my bus when suddenly they announced that no government-run buses would operate. It's been over an hour and I still can't find a private bus to Moga. It's so confusing here,' she said, visibly frustrated. Savita, travelling with her five-year-old son to Malerkotla, said, 'They should have informed us earlier, or stopped the services in the morning. Now, in the middle of the day, where do we go? I was supposed to tie Rakhi to my brother, but the delay has ruined our plans,' she said. The strike stemmed from ongoing issues between union leaders and the state transport department regarding delayed salaries of outsourced and contractual employees, along with concerns about the tendering of new buses under the kilometre scheme. Shamsher Singh, state general secretary of the union, stated, 'The department hasn't credited our monthly salaries. How are we supposed to celebrate the festival without our dues? They claim the funds have been released, but nothing has reached our accounts.' Singh also criticised the ambiguity surrounding the kilometre scheme tender. 'No official notification on this. How can we trust the management without a formal letter?' he added. This is not the first time that Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers have resorted to striking during peak hours. Over the past year, the union has disrupted bus operations eight times, leaving passengers dependent on these buses for their daily commutes stranded and frustrated. In response, Punjab Roadways general manager Navraj Batish said, 'We are in talks with the protesting workers and have promised them that all pending salaries will be credited by Friday evening.'
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Centre releases ₹129 crore towards infrastructure development in U.T.
The Centre has released ₹129 crore as first part of the special assistance scheme sanctioned for infrastructure development in the Union Territory, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said on Friday (August 8, 2025). Addressing reporters, Mr. Rangasamy said the Union Territory had been sanctioned a sum of ₹200 crore under this component. 'The funds will be utilised for completing as many as 14 development projects by the end of this fiscal,' he said. The development works, include establishment of water purification plants at various places where high levels of Total Dissolved Solids in drinking water had been detected across Puducherry, improving connectivity to spiritual tourist destinations (Swadesh Darshan 2.0) in the Union Territory of Puducherry and creating bus stands. The government expects the Centre to release the remaining part of the sanctioned amount soon. According to Mr. Rangasamy, various other projects were being undertaken in the Union Territory with a loan to the tune of ₹4,750 crore from the Asian Development Bank. The repayment period for the soft loan (at an interest rate of 3-4%) is 50 years. These projects would be implemented in two phases over the next five years, the Chief Minister added. The projects, include drinking water supply (₹2,030 crore), tourism and transport upgrade (₹1,170 crore), desalination plants (₹1,000 crore) and an underground sewerage system (₹200 crore). No new taxes will be levied on the people on account of the ADB loan, he said. Meanwhile, the PRTC contract staff, including drivers and conductors, had agreed to withdraw their indefinite strike following an assurance of a hike in pay by ₹10,000, the Chief Minister said. On their other demands for regularisation and incentives, he said a decision would be taken after examining the state of finances. On the acquisition of electric buses for the PRTC, Mr. Rangasamy said the first lot of 25 vehicles is expected to be operational in a couple of months. Work on the battery charging station is over. Mr. Rangasamy brushed aside the corruption allegations being raised against the government by the Opposition, especially the Congress, with a delegation of its leaders submitting a petition to the President in Delhi recently. 'It is standard behaviour for those now in the Opposition to level baseless charges against a government that is pushing for development and welfare to cover up their own record of inept governance,' the Chief Minister said in reply to a question. Responding to another question, Mr. Rangasamy said fighting to secure more funds from the Centre and continuing to demand Statehood were two distinct struggles. 'We will never give up on asking for statehood. That demand will always be there. If necessary, we will convene a special Assembly session and pass a resolution,' he said.
New Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
PRTC strike enters fourth day, bus services remain suspended
PUDUCHERRY: Government-run bus services in Puducherry remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, as employees of the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) continued their indefinite strike over long-pending demands. The protest, led by the Joint Association of Employees Protest Committee, seeks the regularisation of contract drivers and conductors who have been in service for over 15 years, along with the implementation of 7th Pay Commission benefits for regular employees. A second round of talks with government representatives on Wednesday failed to resolve the stalemate. Earlier discussions with Chief Minister N Rangasamy also ended without a breakthrough. The chief minister had offered a pay hike in lieu of regularisation, but striking contract staff rejected the proposal. With no resolution in sight, the strike has disrupted public transport across the union territory, leaving thousands of daily commuters stranded.
The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Puducherry Road Transport Corporation contract staff launch indefinite stir
Contract staff, including drivers and conductors of the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), launched an indefinite stir demanding the implementation of the long-pending promise of job regularisation. The protestors complained that staffers, some of whom had been working for over 11 years, had not been absorbed as regular employees. The contract staff demanded job regularisation without further delay and the implementation of all benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission. Leader of Opposition and DMK convenor R. Siva addressed a protest meeting and condemned the PRTC management for ignoring the demands of the staff. L. Sambath, MLA, and several leaders of the DMK and staff unions participated in the protest meeting.
