India News | Odisha: Striking Drivers Put Agitation on Hold for 90 Days
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The strike by the drivers of commercial vehicles in Odisha was on Friday put on hold for 90 days following an assurance by the state government that all their demands would be fulfilled and an appeal by a top bureaucrat.
Bhubaneswar, Mar 17 (PTI) The strike by the drivers of commercial vehicles in Odisha was on Friday put on hold for 90 days following an assurance by the state government that all their demands would be fulfilled and an appeal by a top bureaucrat.
The decision was announced by the Drivers' Ekta Mahasangh president Prashant Menduli after a detailed discussion with all stakeholders.
Over 2 lakh drivers had launched a strike across Odisha from Wednesday for an indefinite period demanding social security, including pension after 60 years, accident benefits, and formation of a welfare fund.
“Keeping in view the government's written assurance and appeal by the chief secretary, we are putting the ‘quit steering' agitation on hold for 90 days,” Menduli said in a video message.
The announcement by the Drivers' Ekta Mahasangh came barely within few hours after Chief Secretary P K Jena and DGP S K Bansak appealed to the striking drivers to withdraw the stir.
Thanking the drivers for their unity, Menduli urged them to return home.
“The drivers protested peacefully for three days. Because of the strike the people have suffered and the government has also assured us to consider our demands in three months,” he said.
Asked if their 10-point charter of demands was not met within the stipulated 90 days as assured by the state government, Menduli said: “We will go for self-immolation in front of Naveen Niwas on the 91st day, if our demands are not met within three months.”
Earlier in the day, the chief secretary said the strike was impacting examinees, patients going to hospitals and the supply of essential commodities
The DGP also appealed to the drivers not to take law into their own hands.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)