Agitating Odisha Drivers Put Strike On Hold

Bhubaneswar: The agitating members of Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangh on Friday announced their decision to put the strike on hold following a written assurance from the state government on their demands.

This information was given by Drivers’ Mahasangh president Prashanta Menduli. The ‘quit steering’ stir by the drivers had entered its third day on Friday.

He said the decision to suspend the agitation was taken following a written assurance from the government that the demands of the drivers will be resolved within three months.

Urging all the protesting drivers to return home, Menduli in a video message said that the drivers protested peacefully for three days. Because of the strike, the people have suffered and the government has also assured us that it will consider our demands in three months, he said.

In view of the promise and the appeal made by the state government to withdraw the agitation, the drivers have put their strike on hold for three months, he said.

The move came shortly after Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and DGP  Sunil Bansal appealed to the striking drivers to withdraw the stir.

The Chief Secretary said the strike is impacting students appearing in exams, patients going to hospitals & supply of essential commodities

DGP also appealed to the drivers to come join negotiations and not to take law into their own hands. Some criminal and anti-social elements trying to defame drivers by inciting violence, he said.

Earlier in the day, the drivers had rejected the assurance given by the Chief Secretary during talks held on Thursday. They wanted the government to make an announcement to resolve their issues.