Now only buses owned by state transport undertakings can enter Chandigarh. (Representational)
The Punjab government on Tuesday amended a state transport scheme to disallow private buses operating under its permit system to travel to Chandigarh, a decision that would end the "monopoly of private buses owned by the Badal family" and private bus mafia.
According to the new policy, only buses owned by state transport undertakings can enter Chandigarh. At present, private AC buses also pick up passengers from the Chandigarh bus stand.
"Taking another important decision to root out the private bus mafia from the state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has ended the monopoly of private buses owned by the Badal family and other private bus mafia on the inter-state routes," an official statement said.
Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said the Punjab Transport Scheme - 2018 was formulated by the previous Congress government to "give benefits to the Badal family and other private bus mafia".
The scheme enabled the entry of private buses into Chandigarh, leading to the sheer loot of the state exchequer, Mr Bhullar said in a statement here.
"The Badal (Parkash Singh Badal) family, during its government's two tenures from 2007 to 2017, created various schemes to fulfil their personal interests, in which the Congress government also helped the Badals in running their transport businesses smoothly, including one of inter-state movement of their AC buses to Chandigarh," he alleged.
The minister said, "The Punjab Transport Scheme - 2018 has been amended to the Punjab Transport (Amendment) Scheme - 2022." "With the seating capacity of 39 or more and the further condition that air-conditioned stage carriages shall be run only by the state transport undertakings only...," the statement said.
Mr Bhullar said the Bhagwant Mann-led government would no longer allow to "fulfil the vested interests of the Badals and their powerful associates at the sake of state exchequer".
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