Berhampur: Even as the people have started facing scarcity of vegetables due to drivers’ strike in Odisha, hundreds of trucks carrying essential goods from Andhra Pradesh have been stranded on National Highway 16.
According to sources, the members of Drivers’ Ekata Mahamancha have resorted to demonstration and rasta roko from Lanjipalli on the outskirts of Berhampur city in Odisha’s Ganjam district to Girisola on the border with Andhra Pradesh.
The agitating drivers have been stopping the commercial vehicles plying within the state as well as those coming from outside as part of their indefinite strike launched on Wednesday. As a result, the trucks and other heavy vehicles coming from Andhra are not willing to enter into Odisha in apprehension of untoward incident. Similarly, the trucks from Odisha were unable to ply on the National Highway to go over to Andhra, the sources said.
Besides vegetables, these trucks carry fruits, fish, prawn, marine products, grocery items and other food products from Andhra. Odisha markets mainly depend on the traders from outside states including Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana for these products.
With tons of these essential items stranded on the National Highway due to the drivers’ strike, the markets in Odisha including the capital city have run dry of the supply. It has already led to spiralling of prices of different commodities. There have been reports of panic buying by the consumers in some places.
It may be noted that the Mahamancha started the indefinite state-wide strike to press its 10-point charter of demands including social security and pension. Formation of a welfare fund, death benefits and pension after 60 years of age are among their other demands.
Also Read: Odisha Drivers’ Strike Causes Petrol-Diesel Shortage, Rise In Vegetable Price
