Raipur: Nearly 8,000 private buses have observed an indefinite strike in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district today. The strike comes at the heels of rising fuel prices that have caused huge inconvenience to the private bus operators.
“We were already bearing the brunt of the lockdowns imposed on various occasions since the COVID-19 outbreak in March last year. Rise in diesel prices have added woes to our worries,” Sayyad Anwar Ali, president, Chhattisgarh Yatayat Mahasangh (CYM) said. He cited the rise in Diesel prices that have caused sheer difficulty for the buses to ply on the regular fares.
The Traffic Federation has put forth demands to hike the passenger fee and to repeal the rule which states that vehicle owners will be exempted from payment of tax for a maximum period of two months for vehicles which are not in use. As per the rule enacted in 2009, bus operators have to pay tax on the vehicle even if it is not in use after a relaxation of two months.
Earlier on Monday, the Chhattisgarh Traffic Federation held a protest at the Budha Talab Dharna Sthal demanding a 40 per cent rise in bus fares. It is also reported that a Jal Samadhi would be held across the state on July 14 if the government does not agree with the federation’s demands.