HR employees’ strike: Bus services remain unaffected

ROHTAK/JIND/HISAR: The plan to keep Haryana Roadways buses off road on Wednesday by the protesting employees of state roadways department remained unsuccessful after the local administration in almost all districts dealt with them with a strong hand. In view of the strike, the state government had invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) for six months on the transport department.
In Jind, police had to resort to cane-charge to disperse the protesters creating a blockade for not letting buses embark on their respective routes.The Haryana Roadways Employees Union leaders were arrested early in the morning and the fleet of buses was kept running unhindered, barring for two hours in Jind. In Fatehabad also, the police had to use mild force to disperse the agitating protesters, who stood in front of buses. In the ruckus, three protesters sustained injuries while 40 of them were arrested.
In Hisar, 37 protesters were arrested and in Sirsa, 24 of them were detained by the police for attempting to cause disruption. Hisar police spokesperson said one of the employees union leaders Dalbir Kirmara had smashed the camera of the administration when it was videographing the event. A case under ESMA was registered against Kirmara and he was warned against participating in the strike. In Sirsa, the administration tried to depart the buses on long routes around 2.30am but was not successful. Later, it cleared the protesters from the spot in presence of police personnel.
In Rohtak also, police force was deployed at the bus stand from early morning to prevent obstruction to buses plying on all routes in the wake of the protest.
Rohtak bus stand general manager Rahul Jain said the bus services were affected till 8 am.