Government bus strike: 400 OSRTC buses stay off roads

Bhubaneswar: As many as 400 buses stayed off roads across the State today as members of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) launched a three-day agitation to continue till August 23 demanding fulfilment of a 4-charter demand.

As part of the strike, the agitating employees of the state-owned transport corporation are holding demonstrations at different places throughout Odisha.

The demands include regularisation of contractual service, reinstating employees disengaged by the corporation, same wage for same work and upgradation in salary as per the 7th Pay Commission.

"We will intensify the strike if the state government do not fulfil our demands," a member of the agitating All Odisha State Road Transport Corporation Association said.

The association, however, is not recognised by the OSRTC.

As most OSRTC buses ply in remote areas, road communication has taken a hit in Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur and other districts.

Around 60 buses remained stranded at Badambadi bus terminal in Cuttack, adding to the woes of commuters.

The OSRTC has termed the agitation as "illegal" and "unlawful."

"We have appealed to the agitating employees to return to work... The corporation had recently hiked the remuneration of contractual employees by 20 per cent. As such, OSTRC is a loss-making undertaking," General Manager R P Sahu told PTI.

Sahu said that the strike is not legal as it is being organised by an employee body not recognised by the corporation.

(With PTI inputs)