Auto-rickshaw strike put on hold

Bhubaneswar: The All Odisha Auto Chalaka Mahasangha put its state-wide 12-hour strike on hold on Thursday after a discussion with Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi here.

The Mahasangha postponed the agitation after getting an assurance from the Transport Minister that the department’s technical committee will look into their four demands, said sources.

The association was on strike opposing app-based auto services in the state.

Besides, they wanted insurance for auto drivers and areas specified for parking so that the traffic police do not heckle the drivers, the sources added.

If the demands are not met in a month or two, the association will decide on its next course of action, the sources stated.

Meanwhile, Commissionerate Police arrested four persons for their involvement in damaging vehicles during the auto association strike in Bhubaneswar.

Earlier in the day, members of the association were seen damaging vehicles, puncturing the tyres of two-wheelers and four-wheelers plying on the roads during the strike.