CHANDIGARH: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema today directed the Transport Department to hold a meeting with various unions of the department in the next 15 days to consider their demands and submit a concrete report to the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by him. Following this directive, the striking Transport Department unions announced to withdraw their strike.
The Finance Minister issued these directions during the meeting with the unions at Punjab Bhawan, which lasted for about two hours. The meeting was also attended by Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, Secretary Transport Varun Roojam, Director State Transport-cum-Managing Director PUNBUS Rajiv Gupta, and Managing Director PRTC Bikramjit Singh Shergill.
The Finance Minister was presented with detailed demands and issues by the Punjab Roadways PUNBUS/PRTC Contract Workers Union (25/11) and Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS State Transport Workers Union (1/19). After taking into consideration the demands and issues raised by the union leaders, the Finance Minister directed the Transport Department to resolve the department-level issues as soon as possible and hold a meeting with the union leaders in the next 15 days regarding the main issues of the unions, and submit a concrete report to the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by him, to facilitate the resolution of legitimate issues.