Protesting transporters block bus stands as commuters suffer in Bathinda

BATHINDA/MUKTSAR: Angry over registration of case against a bus conductor of New Deep Transport company owned by SAD (Badal) leader Hardeep Singh Dhillon alias Dimpy, private transporters remained on strike in Malwa for most part of the Saturday. Hundreds of commuters had to face hardships as the transporters blocked bus stands and did not allow even state-owned buses to ply.All private buses, including those of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal-owned Orbit Aviation, remained off the roads till 3 pm.
The strike call was taken back after the Bathinda range DIG Mohneesh Chawala held meeting with private transporters and assured them of fair investigations into the case. The private transporters also laid a siege to bus stands at Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Gidderbaha and did not allow the state-run Pepsu Road Transport Corporation and Punjab Roadways to move out their buses. The move was opposed by PRTC and PR employees at Muktsar. They carried out a protest outside the residence of deputy commissioner against private transporters and the state government.
Two teenage girls had complained that a bus conductor of New Deep tried to molest them on May 13 and when they resisted he made them get off the bus. Muktsar police on Friday registered the case against conductor under charges of outraging the modesty of a woman.
On Saturday morning, employees of private transporters assembled at the bus stands of Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Gidderbaha. They parked their buses in zigzag manner at the bus stands and blocked the entry and exit. PRTC busses too could not ply. Faridkot bar association members Mandeep Channa and Darshan Singh demanded action against private transporters for forcibly stopping government buses without notice.
"Injustice has been meted out to us by registering a case against the conductor. The employees are feeling unsafe and are not ready to discharge their duties fearing that any woman or girl can complain against them of misbehaviour. In this way our buses will be hard hit and we will not tolerate it," said New Deep company owner Hardeep Dhillon.
Meanwhile, state roadways staff opposed the strike by the private transporters. "It is sheer injustice to commuters as private transporters have forcibly stopped our buses too," said Punbus employees union president Mehma Singh while protesting outside the residence of Muktsar DC.
DIG Chawla held met private transporters for over an hour at the Bathinda bus stand and persuaded them to withdraw the strike. Minibus operators' union chief Baltej Singh said that police had given them time till May 21 to probe the case and if allegations were found true, the conductor would be arrested, otherwise action would be taken against complainant for lodging a false report.
Muktsar DC Jaskiran Singh said, "I will look into the information that state-owned buses were not allowed run by the private operators. I have assured the state roadways employees that action will be taken if any law was violated."
PRTC conductor beaten up:
In Bathinda a conductor of PRTC's Bathinda depot alleged that employees of New Deep Transport company and their associates beat him near Jandiala bypass in Amritsar for running the bus. Talking to TOI over phone from Sultanwind in Amritsar, Jaskaran said, "We had taken the bus to Bathinda stand at 5 am for Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. When we reached Jandiala bypass, nearly two dozen employees of New Deep and their associates beat me and snatched my money bag containing nearly Rs 10,000." He alleged that they tried to pull out the driver but he saved him. "We have informed the PRTC authorities at Bathinda and made a complaint at Sultanwind police station against the assaulters," he said. When contacted, New Deep company owner Hardeep Singh Dhillon said, "I have inquired into the incident but nothing of that sort happened. My employees did not beat up the PRTC conductor."
Security for bus staff demanded:
In Ferozepur private transporters observed a strike by blocking all main roads in the Ferozepur district, bringing bus traffic to a halt for several hours in the city on Saturday. They were demanding adequate security for the operating staff after the Moga incident in which a minor Dalit girl died after she was thrown off a moving bus of the Orbit Aviation Company as she and her mother resisted a molestation bid. The private operators alleged that were becoming an easy target in molestation cases. In Ferozepur town, different roads were blocked to register protest. State-run Punjab Roadways and PRTC carriers did not participate in the agitation. However, the employees of private protestors did not allow the state-run buses to enter the bus stand.
Protestors block roads:
In Sangrur and Patiala passengers were a harried lot on Saturday in most of the areas of Sangrur and Paitala districts as private buses remained off roads on all the major and minor routes and even traffic was blocked by workers of private transport companies at various locations.
Traffic was blocked at Bathinda-Chandigarh, Sirsa-Chandigarh, and Ludhiana-Sangrur-Delhi roads by the protestors. They also blocked traffic for few hours at Sunam and Mehlan Chowk in Sangrur district. Traffic was also blocked at Bhawanigarh, which led to harassment of passengers communing on Bathinda-Chandigarh National Highway.
Nearly complete strike was observed by private operators in Sangrur district till afternoon. In Patiala too, effect of strike was visible and most of the buses remained off roads in the district till afternoon.