Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 29
Technical employees of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) have come out strongly against the decision to privatise four of the corporation’s workshops, warning of protests if the move is not withdrawn.
The HRTC Technical Employees’ Union said the decision was taken at a recent meeting of the corporation’s Board of Directors to privatise workshops at Rampur, Nalagarh, Pathankot and Shimla Unit-3. The union has demanded that the government and HRTC management reverse the decision immediately. Addressing a press conference in Shimla, the union’s state president, Puran Chand, said that against 2,267 sanctioned posts in HRTC, only around 1,100 employees are currently working. He said staff shortages have led to increased outsourcing, which, according to the union, could further worsen unemployment.
“Technical staff are the backbone of HRTC, but privatisation is an attempt to weaken that backbone,” Poorn Chand said. He added that the union would soon seek meetings with the chief minister and the deputy chief minister to raise its concerns. If the decision is not rolled back, he warned, employees would launch a large-scale agitation in the coming days.
Responding to questions about recent accidents involving HRTC buses, Puran Chand said the corporation was facing a shortage of quality spare parts and delays in their supply. He claimed that the lack of timely maintenance was causing buses to break down on roads, increasing the risk of accidents.
