Chandigarh Mar 28 PTI Public transport services were affected in Haryana on Monday as the Roadways employees joined the two-day nationwide strike call given by a joint forum of the central trade unions to protest against the Centres alleged wrong policies that are affecting farmers workers and peopleCommuters had to face a tough time as the bus services remained suspended at several depots of Haryana RoadwaysThe roadways employees held protest at many depots in the state as part of the strikeSarbat Singh Punia a leader of the joint front of 10 unions of roadways employees said that in all the depots bus services are suspendedOnly a few buses which are run under the kilometre scheme were operated in the morning in Narnaul Jhajjar and Chandigarh depots by private operators Our roadways employees are observing a complete strike he saidHe alleged that the BJP led Haryana government was not strengthening the Haryana Roadways fleetThis indicates their intent to promote privatisation of the transport services There were 4200 buses in the Haryana Roadways fleet about six years back which have been reduced to 2600 now and route permits are given to promote private buses Haryana Roadways needs 10000 buses in its fleet but the government is not paying heed he claimedIn some districts prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed to maintain law and order during the strike under which a ban has been imposed on the gathering of five or more persons in a 100-metre area of the bus stands officials saidPunia claimed that employees and workers of some other departments including public sector banks and municipal bodies are also participating in the nationwide strikeMeanwhile public transport buses were plying normally in neighbouring Punjab officials saidOur bus services are running normally in Punjab an official of the State Transport Department saidNaresh Gaur Deputy General Secretary of Punjab Bank Employees Federation however said the employees of nationalised bank employees joined the strike and the banking services remained affected in PunjabCentral trade unions on Monday began a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the governments alleged wrong policiesA joint forum of central trade unions had given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes no privatisation of any form scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline NMP increased allocation of wages under MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act and regularisation of contract workers among othersThe central trade unions that are part of this joint forum are INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF and UTUC PTI SUN VSD BAL BAL

New Delhi Jan 24 PTI The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for April 30 a public interest litigation PIL concerning the safety and security of the Prime Minister considering the pendency of overlapping issues before the Supreme CourtA bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel initially said that it would ask the Centre to consider as representation the PIL which seeks a declaration that all authorities civil or military shall act under the supervision of the Special Protection Group SPG in matters of security of the Prime Minister and his immediate family membersLawyer V Govinda Ramanan representing the petitioner Ashish Kumar said that the plea was on a limited point of law that the SPG should have the power of superintendence in respect of the PMs safety and that he has already made a representation to the Ministry of Home AffairsThe petitioner has claimed that he filed the PIL in view of media reports on a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to PunjabCentral government counsel Amit Mahajan informed the court that the Supreme Court is already seized of overlapping issuesThe bench also comprising Justice Jyoti Singh adjourned the hearing on the PIL and noted that the apex court has passed directions and is awaiting the report of the committee already appointed by itOn January 5 the prime ministers convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from poll-bound Punjab without attending any event including a rallyOn January 12 the Supreme Court had on a petition seeking a thorough investigation into the matter appointed a five-member committee headed by former apex court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to probe the security breachIn the PIL before the high court the petitioner has argued that the security of the Prime Minister cannot be left to the discretion of the states and the absolute superintendence in matters of his safety should be exercised by the SPGHe has submitted that the SPG was created with the sole purpose of ensuring the safety and security of the prime minister and all authorities are therefore duty-bound to aid their functionsThe petitioner has alleged that recently the Govt of Punjab including the Police officials of the state instead of coming to the aid of SPG in terms of Section 14 of the SPG Act 1988 was creating obstacles to the proximate security of the Honble Prime MinisterIt came to the knowledge of the petitioner via media reports that there has been a breach in the security of the Honble Prime Minister during his recent visit to the border state of Punjab on 05012022 which inter-alia is further evidence from the fact that his convoy was stuck and was made to wait on a flyover for more than 20 minutes thereby exposing and putting his life at risk to a terrorist attack the petition saidIn a country that has witnessed the assassination of two PMs such security lapses pose a great threat to national security and also put the life of the common citizens at risk the petitioner has arguedPTI ADS SA