‘Quit Steering’ Stir By Drivers Hits Milk & Fuel Supply, Other Services In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: With Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha joining the all India ‘quit steering’ protest, various services including transportation of petrol and diesel were severely affected in the state on Saturday.

As many people were apprehensive about the impact of the strike, the sale of petrol and diesel recorded around 20 per cent increase on Friday due to panic purchase in different places.

Loading of petrol and diesel at oil depots dropped by over 75 per cent because of the drivers’ agitation, according to Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association general secretary Sanjay Lath. Only 25 per cent fuel could be loaded on Friday.

While fuel loading at Paradip depot came to a grinding halt on Saturday, the volume of loading done at Jatani and Balasore depots remained quite negligible. Many fuel outlets may become empty by Sunday afternoon if same situation persists, he said.

Apart from petrol and diesel transportation, supply of milk was also severely affected in the state. The Odisha State Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED) service has been badly hit by the protest as they are unable to transport milk to the market due to the drivers’ stir, sources said.

Over 70,000 litres of milk failed to move out of the dairy plant to districts of Cuttack, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Keonjhar because of the driver’s agitation.

Similarly, the impact of the strike could be witnessed at Cuttack’s Netaji Bus Terminal. As bus services were affected because of the stir, the passengers encountered difficulty in commuting. Mo Bus public transport service witnesses a huge rush of passengers.

Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha president Prashant Menduli said that members of the outfit are  raising their voice against the new hit and run rule brought by the government by staging peaceful protest.