Bhubaneswar, Jan 8: The Odisha Motor Transport Workers’ Federation on Monday called off their strike following a discussion with the officials of the Odisha government at the Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, Commerce and Transport Secretary Usha Padhi, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi, and Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh attended the meeting and appealed the federation to withdraw their strike to avoid any inconvenience to the public.
Responding to the state government’s appeal, the federation called off the strike with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association General Secretary Sanjay Lath said that there is no shortage of fuel at the filing stations and appealed people not to stock up petrol and diesel.
Some filling stations in Bhubaneswar faced fuel shortage. Efforts are on restock the petrol pumps by transporting fuel from Jatni depot by this evening, he added.
Notably, the indefinite strike was called from 6 am today to protest against the new provision made in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which mandates 10-year imprisonment of the drivers and a fine of Rs 7 lakh in hit-and-run cases.
Thousands of drivers staged protest at four depots across the state affecting the transportation of petrol and diesel.
