Odisha drivers call off strike after three days

The Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangh said the decision to call off the strike was taken following a written assurance from the state government that their demands will be resolved within three months

Published on: Mar 18, 2023, 15:36:51 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangh has called off their strike following a written assurance from the state government that their demands will be resolved within three months, the Mahasangh’s president Prashanta Menduli said on Friday, three days after the agitation was begun.

The Odisha chief secretary said the drivers’ strike was impacting students appearing in exams, patients going to hospitals and supply of essential commodities. (ANI Photo)

The agitating drivers have been demanding formation of a welfare fund, death benefits, social security including pension after 60 years of age, parking facilities and wayside amenities among others.

Their decision to suspend the strike came shortly after Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Jena and director general of police (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 and supply of essential commodities

The strike by the drivers had led to scarcity of fuel in many outlets across the state and rise in price of vegetables as the vegetable trucks and fuel tanks were stopped on the way. Passengers and daily commuters were left stranded as the striking drivers blocked the national and state expressways at different places.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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