When the Lokpal of Punjab, Daljit Singh Dhaliwal, recently ordered an inquiry into the alleged illegal operation of buses belonging to private transporters of Punjab in the Union Territory of Chandigarh he was evidently looking at only the tip of the iceberg.
Has revealed that there is more to it than just charges of illegal operation in the transport sector. There has been over the years a serious manipulation of transport policy that has favoured private operating agencies, owned by political bigwigs, at the cost of the state exchequer, the state-owned public transport organisations and also the poor of Punjab.
Those who own private transport buses are a veritable who’s who of Punjab politics. The list includes Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, PPP President Manpreet Singh Badal, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, BJP MLA Jagdish Saini, former Congress legislators Avtar Singh Henry, Amrik Singh Dhillon and Jasbir Singh Dimpa besides families of the late Akali legislator Kirpal Singh Libra and Congress’ Dilbagh Singh.
In his petition to the Lokpal, a Chandigarh-based lawyer Arvind Thakur challenged the permission granted in 2009 by General S.F. Rodrigues, the then Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, that allowed private bus operators of Punjab to extend their services to the Union Territory. General Rodrigues had reportedly permitted 73 buses belonging to Punjab private bus operators. Inspector-General of Police S L Gakhar, attached to the Lokpal, has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit his report by November 1 this year.
The charges of illegal operation are only a tiny bone of the many skeletons in the cupboard of Punjab’s public transport sector. When conducted an extensive survey of the transport sector of Punjab, it came across a suspiciously high growth of private buses operating in the lucrative luxury and super luxury sectors of public transport in the state. Unremunerative sectors, including services to rural and remote areas, still remain with the public sector.
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