End of commuters’ ordeal: Bus services resume from Puri

Puri/Bhubaneswar: After a harrowing day for commuters on Tuesday, the Nilagiri Motor Employees Association, which had declared a cease-work yesterday, has resumed bus services to places other than Cuttack today.

Informing about the end of the stir, general secretary of the association said resumption of service to Cuttack will be decided at a meeting on April 7.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to commuters due to the strike. Respecting the suggestion of IG and SP, we resumed the service to all places from Puri. But, we will take a call on bus services to Cuttack only after a meeting on April 7,” the secretary said.

Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi, who assured of resolving the deadlock in the meeting, said, "The April 7 meeting will be chaired by IG (Central range) and attended by the bus owners of Cuttack and Puri, RTO and members of employees association. We will try to resolve the issue soon," Majhi added.

Private bus services from Puri to Cuttack and other places came to a grinding halt on Tuesday due to  a cease-work call given by the association protesting assault on one of their employees at Cuttack bus stand a few days ago.

Over 20 staff were also detained by Puri police on Tuesday following a scuffle between the them during the agitation.