Patiala/Sangrur, Nov. 30 -- Taking a stern action, the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) on Saturday terminated the services of its 22 contractual employees and issued show-cause notices to nearly 1,100 others for failing to report for duty as the strike against the "controversial" Kilometre scheme entered its second day.

The PRTC action came even as chief minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to all protesting contractual employees of the state-owned roadways to return to work and adopt the path of dialogue, a day after the strike took a grievous shape with workers threatening self-immolation and a police officer sustaining burn injuries.

Bus services in parts of the state remained affected, causing great inconvenience to commuters. Th...