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. The employees launched the strike on Friday against the opening of tenders related to the kilometre-based bus scheme, which they claimed was "a backdoor attempt to bring in private buses and dismantle the state-run transport system, enabling private operators to run buses on government-notified routes". Of the 22 dismissed employees, 12 were posted at the Patiala depot and 10 at the Sangrur depot where the protest had turned violent on Friday. PRTC managing director Bikramjit Singh Shergill said the corporation would not tolerate indiscipline or unlawful behaviour. "It is a serious lapse on the part of PRTC employees who brought petrol and a matchstick to the Sangrur depot, which also houses a petrol pump. We have taken strict action against employees involved in arson and damage to public property," he said. Shergill said show-cause notices had already been issued to employees who have been absent for the past 48 hours. "They (protesting employees) have been told to report for duty by Sunday morning, failing which strict disciplinary action will be initiated against them too," he said. With the strike entering its second day, public transport services remained paralysed. Commuters were forced to rely on private vehicles, while heavy passenger rush was witnessed at Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and Jalandhar ISBTs. Women commuters, who normally avail free travel in state-run buses, said they were compelled to purchase tickets in private buses in the absence of government services. The PRTC MD said around 600 buses - out of a fleet of 1,188 - were back on the roads by Saturday evening and the number was expected to rise on Sunday. "From yesterday's 35%, operational capacity increased to 60% on Saturday evening. We are hopeful that around 90% of our fleet will be running by Sunday evening," Shergill said. He added that interstate buses had been temporarily halted to normalise services within Punjab. Mann said the state government is making sincere efforts to resolve all issues of the protesting employees. "I understand that employees have a democratic right to protest, but they should ensure that the public is not inconvenienced. I am aware of their economic and social pressures," Mann told reporters in Chandigarh. Mann said he visited the Kurali bus stand to take stock of the problems faced by the public. He also said the state government will soon introduce 900 new buses. The workers have accused the state government of ignoring their long-pending demands and pushing the transport sector towards "systematic privatisation". Previously, the employees' union had announced protests against the opening of tenders on Friday related to the controversial kilometre-based bus scheme and demanded the regularisation of contractual workers. Ahead of the statewide strike, many of the union leaders were detained by police, leading to chaotic scenes and protesters clashing with police at multiple locations. A dramatic situation unfolded in Sangrur on Friday, where a protesting contractual employee allegedly poured petrol on himself and attempted to set himself ablaze. A police officer sustained burn injuries while trying to stop him and was rushed to the hospital. Lakhwinder Singh, vice-president of the PRTC contractual workers Union, on Saturday said that the scheduled protest outside chief minister Mann's residence in Chandigarh has been postponed. He added that the union has been invited for a meeting with transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and other officials in Patti on Sunday. He further warned that the protest may continue for a longer duration if their demands are not met....