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5 parties protest against bus fare hike

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

CAUGHT UNAWARES: Passengers waiting at the bus stand at Bhubaneswar railway station even as Left parties and NCP agitating against hike in bus fares on Monday.

BHUBANESWAR: Protesting against the State government’s decision to hike bus fares following increase in petroleum prices, workers of five political parties stopped movement of passenger buses in the capital city here on Monday.

Over 500 workers picketed at Master Canteen Square and Barmunda Bus Stand that seriously affected passengers’ service in the morning. They demanded rollback of bus fare hike.

The political parties those participated in the strike included Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Nationalist Congress Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Forward Bloc.

The leaders who took part in the strike called the hike unreasonable. They said the Centre increased prices of diesel by Rs. 3 while State government reduced 2 per cent of sales tax. The effective increase in price per one litre of diesel was Rs. 2.16.

“A 50-seated bus travel five km in one litre diesel. So the impact of fuel price hike would not be less than 1 paise per one kilometre.

However, the State government increased bus fare between 4 paise and 7 paise per kilometre,” Mantu Nayak, CPI(M) district committee member, said here.

It was ridiculous to note that the technical committee appointed by the State government recommended 10 per cent hike in bus fares suggesting that the prices of tyre, tube and lubricants had increased, Mr. Nayak said.

He said the State government showed extraordinary alacrity to fulfil demands of bus operators without attempting to reason out their demands.

“What is more baffling is that the administration has hiked passenger fare more than the demand put forth by bus owners’ association. In 2006, the State government unreasonably increased the bus fare,” Sura Jena, CPI leader, said.

They warned that if State government did not pay heed to their demands, the strike would be extended to other parts of the State. Many workers courted arrest during the strike.

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