Private Bus Owners' Association threaten stir from Nov 1

Bhubaneswar: The All Odisha Private Bus Owners' Association has threatened to launch a state-wide indefinite strike from November 1 if their five-point charter of demands including repeal of government's decision to reintroduce tax collection at toll gates and police checking are not fulfilled.

The association announced its decision to go on cease work at a state level meeting on Saturday.

Briefing a presser, general secretary of the association, Debendra Sahu said “A memorandum with five-point charter of demands has been submitted to the government on October 3 in which we showed our displeasure over its decision to reintroduce tax collection at toll gates. Last time during 2015 when the government decided to come up with the proposal to charge 60 percent of tax from passengers and rest from owners’ pockets, we opposed,” Sahu said.

“Secondly, the government is also mulling to increase toll tax and very soon going to implement a bill in this regard. Police checking of buses should be stopped and increase in bus fare under automatic mechanism which should have already been implemented as per 12 parameters once in a year is yet to be done,” Sahu added.

"Since after repeated appeals from the association the government is yet to pay any heed towards the issues, private buses will stay off roads for an indefinite period from November 1," Sahu warned.

Meanwhile, trucks will also keep off roads for 36-hours from 8 am on October 9 after the All India Motors Transport Congress and other truck owners association unanimously called for a day-and-half cease work stir protesting non-inclusion of diesel in the new indirect taxation regime, GST.