Odisha breathes easy as drivers call off strike after three days

BHUBANESWAR: After three days of unending misery for the common people, the drivers finally responded to the government's appeal and called off their strike on Friday evening.

Prashant Menduli, president of Drivers' Ekata Mahamancha, said the agitation was suspended for three months in view of the government's plea and assurance to resolve their problems within the period. "If the government doesn't accept our demands within 90 days, the strike will be intensified," Menduli warned.

More than three lakh drivers had stayed away from work pressing for their 10-point demand, including pension and insurance, affecting the supply chain of essential commodities, inconveniencing commuters, jacking up vegetable prices and resulting in shortage of fuel supply. Police also faced a major challenge in clearing roadblocks set up by drivers in many places.

Commerce and transport minister Tukuni Sahu and chief secretary Pradeep Jena had separately appealed to the drivers to get back to work in view of the misery the strike had brought on people. Jena told them that they should call of the strike after the government's reassurance to resolve contentious issues.

The chief secretary on Thursday had given a written assurance to redress their issues within three months. The agitation had become a major headache for the government as it had affected supply of essential items forcing it to form a task force to monitor and ensure free movement of essential commodities.

Owing to the panic generated by the strike, people had resorted to bulk buying of petrol and diesel, resulting in long queues at the fuel filling stations. Following an uproar by the opposition in the assembly, speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha had asked the transport minister to discuss the matter with the agitators and apprise the house of the same.

Though the agitators had shown signs of relenting on Thursday after their representatives met the chief secretary, they decided to carry on with the strike, insisting an assurance from chief minister Naveen Patnaik would only make them change their mind. However, in the evening, they decided to call off their agitation for the time being.