Bhubaneswar: In response to private bus plans to initiate an indefinite strike across Odisha beginning October 10, officials from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) held a meeting with the leaders of the All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association Monday in Bhubaneswar in order to avert the protest.
The meeting was described as ‘productive’ by general secretary of All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association Debendra Sahoo.
Sahoo informed that a final decision regarding the proposed strike would be taken following the completion of a steering committee meeting. He further mentioned that the meeting had produced favourable outcomes, with the government committing to consider the private bus owners’ demands. He added that the association is seeking written assurance from the government regarding the fulfillment of their demands.
Sahoo further emphasized that, for the time being, the plan for the protest remains intact, pending further discussions within the steering committee, which will subsequently determine the next plan of action.
Also read: Tributes pour in for Gopabandhu Das on his birth anniversary
The Association had initially called for an indefinite strike throughout the state to voice various grievances, including their opposition to the Odisha government’s introduction of affordable transportation services as part of the Location-Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme.
According to a source, the association had previously submitted a proposal to the state government, requesting permission for their buses to operate in rural areas under the LAccMI scheme.
PNN