Bhubaneswar, May 18: Employees of Ama Bus Services staged a sit-in protest at the Bhagabanpur Depot in Patrapada on Monday, demanding immediate payment of pending salaries and resolution of other long-standing issues.

The agitation began early in the morning, bringing bus services to a complete halt. A total of 117 buses across 45 routes from the depot have remained off the roads, causing significant disruption to daily commuters.

The protesting employees have put forward four key demands:

· Timely disbursement of salaries.

· Regular payment of EPF and ESI contributions.

· Limiting duty assignments to a maximum of 30 per employee.

· Revision of the penalty system, demanding that fines in FC or FNC cases should not exceed Rs 500, in contrast to the current practice of deducting Rs 5,000 along with five days of duty suspension.

The employees have warned that the dharna will continue until all demands are met and the management provides a concrete solution. The protest has caused severe inconvenience to commuters relying on Ama Bus services in the city.