The 72-hour strike by around two lakh employees of the Haryana government and semi-government bodies ended today, even as normal life remained affected due to power cuts and disruption of water supply.
"The strike by some two lakh employees ended as the time period of the 72-hour stir came to an end," said Subash Lamba, general secretary of Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh, which is spearheading the agitation.
He said the state government had invited the striking employees for talks tomorrow.
"Chief Secretary S C Choudhary has invited us for talks. An eight-member delegation of Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh will meet him tomorrow," he said, adding that the Sangh would decide its next course of action after the meeting.
The administration, however, filed more cases against strikers for violating prohibitory orders and disrupting power and water supply in some parts of the state.
Lamba said at least 12 people of the power department had been booked by police and were arrested today.
Defying prohibitory orders and warning of disciplinary action, nearly two lakh employees of the state government, boards and corporations had began their 72-hour strike on the intervening night of January 20 and 21, demanding abolishment of contractual system and outsourcing of work.
Lamba said the protesters staged demonstrations in many places. At some places people vented their ire against disruption of power and water supply.
Power supply remained affected in Kurukshetra, Jind, Kaithal, Faridabad, Karnal, Rohtak, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh and Mewat districts.
Meanwhile, on the directions of Haryana Discoms (Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam), superintending engineers engaged additional man power through contractors during the strike today, officials said.
The striking power utilities employees are, however, returning to duty, officials said.
"All out efforts were being made by the officers and officials of the utilities to restore power supply disrupted in some areas of the state as promptly as possible by working round-the-clock," a government spokesman said.
Meanwhile, state-owned public transport facility returned to normal today.
