Chandigarh, October 21
Former Punjab BJP State President Avinash Rai Khanna on Wednesday accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to honour its commitments to contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Punjab Roadways Transport Corporation (PRTC), saying government inaction had forced them to struggle for their legitimate rights. He said the Punjab BJP stood firmly in support of the employees’ agitation.
Khanna said contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and PRTC had been raising their demands with the government and departmental officials for a long time, but no concrete solution had been forthcoming. He said the government’s indifference was affecting not only the employees but also the general public, with students, working professionals and other commuters facing considerable inconvenience while travelling on state-run buses.
He said the government must seriously consider the employees’ key demands, including the regularisation of long-serving contractual workers, the abolition of the outsourcing system, and the placement of outsourced employees under a contractual employment framework. He urged the government to review the existing system and ensure job security and the benefits due to the employees.
Khanna appealed to the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the employees and resolve their demands at the earliest. He said an early settlement would help end the impasse and spare commuters the inconvenience caused by the strike.
