Bhubaneswar: The All-Odisha Bus Owners’ Association (AOBOA) has withdrawn its call for a statewide strike slated to begin from December 1.
The decision to give up the strike plan came after the state government clarified that it has not taken any step to grant additional motor vehicle checking powers to the police.
The private bus owners had earlier announced their plan to stop services across the state, apprehending t
hat enhanced powers for the police could lead to harassment of operators. They also felt that it would cause disruption of services and an increase in penalty.
AOBOA general secretary Debendra Kumar Sahu said that the bus operators are relaxed after the government’s clarification on the matter. Talks with the Transport Department made it clear that no decision has been taken on additional powers for the police, he said.
Stating that any move to expand police authority would create operational challenges for private buses, he said such powers were withdrawn nearly 40 years ago because the police failed to manage the responsibility.
However, the government has assured us that no such decision has been taken. Therefore, there is no need to go for a strike and the association has decided to withdraw the plan.