Bus Strike In Odisha Called Off Following Talks With Transport Minister

Bhubaneswar: The proposed bus strike by private operators in Western and South Odisha was called off on Mondy following talks with the government over their demands.

According to sources, the bus owners’ associations of western and southern Odisha called off the proposed strike in the region after a meeting with Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena.

The Minister had called the private bus owners’ associations for a meeting in Berhampur to discuss their demands.

The associations had earlier given a call for a 24-hour bus strike in 14 districts of Odisha, opposing the state government’s decision to introduce tier-II buses under the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme.

A bus owner explained that while they supported the launch of tier-I LAccMI buses connecting blocks to panchayats, they opposed the introduction of tier-II buses, which would operate between blocks and district headquarters, causing financial loss for private bus operators.