Bhubaneswar: Public transport in Odisha has been severely affected following the indefinite strike by private bus owners in the state on Friday after their talks with the government on Thursday failed to yield a positive result.
Most private buses across the road went off the road from 6.00 a.m. on Friday in support of the indefinite strike called by the All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) in support of their various demands, state Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu Thursday urged the association to call off the stir and come for a discussion. People should not be put into trouble during the festive season, and strikes should be called off, the minister said.
The bus strike has put the commuters as well as people intending to travel to their homes with their families for Durga Puja celebrations in a spot.
Debendra Sahu, the secretary of the AOPBOA, said, “We have decided to go for the indefinite strike from Friday 6.00 a.m. as our talks with the CMO on Thursday did not yield any positive result. Although the CMO assured us to look into our demands, it did not give us any written assurance regarding our demands,” adding, “We want a written assurance from the minister before we call off our strike.”
Meanwhile, state Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu clarified that a discussion will help us to find a solution to the problems faced by the private bus owners in the state. Referring to the AOPBOA’s stand on the LAccMI bus service launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik a few days ago, the minister said that the LAccMI bus service is a welfare scheme and will continue to operate as before. The government aims to take development and transformation in the state to the grassroots level through this scheme.
In fact, the private bus owners have been opposing the launch of the LAccMI bus service in rural areas alleging that their livelihood is hampered due to the scheme.
Meanwhile, the private bus owners’ association has decided not to join the strike called by the AOPBOA. The president of the Balasore district private bus owners’ association said, “We are not against the strike, but this is not the right time.”
