Drivers end strike after Odisha govt agrees to address demands in three months

In a video message, president of the federation, Prasanta Menduli, said, “Keeping in mind the problems faced by the general public and in view of the assurance given by the chief secretary to address our demand within three months, we have decided to end the strike. Everyone should be given a chance.”

“If the government does not resolve our problems within 90 days as assured by the government, all the drivers will burn themselves in protest outside Naveen Niwas (residence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik) on the 91st day,” he said.

There were reports of violence from one or two places during the road blockade on Thursday.

As the strike severely affected the movement of essential commodities, vegetables and fuels, the government constituted a task force headed by chief secretary P K Jena on Thursday to streamline the movement of essential commodities including fuel.

The task force reviewed the current stocks and decided to ensure there is no disturbance in the supply chain owing to the unavailability of goods in the market.

The government has also set up three 24X7 control rooms in three different offices to extend assistance to the operators and the public.

Prices of essential commodities like vegetables, fishes and eggs have rocketed as the trucks carrying them are standard in different parts of the state.

The chief secretary assured people that the availability of petrol, diesel, LPG and aviation turbine fuel would become near normal soon.

Earlier on Friday, Jena and director-general of police Sunil Kumar Bansal appealed to the drivers to withdraw the strike as it affected students appearing in exams and patients going to hospitals besides the supply of commodities. On Thursday he gave the agitating drivers a written assurance to address the demands within three months.

The movement of private buses and taxis has resumed at a few places.

Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said the government had promised to resolve the drivers’ problems within three months, even as the strike triggered a political slugfest.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan had appealed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to resolve the crisis and a BJP delegation met the agitating drivers at Tomando on NH16 in Khurda district. The BJD’s leader in Rajya Sabha, Sasmit Patra, hit out at Pradhan and asked him to name a BJP-ruled state that has a “proper policy for drivers”. He also said the Centre should do something for the drivers.

Senior Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati, however, said the state government should immediately accept the drivers’ demands instead of seeking three months’ time.