Private Bus Owners Call Off Proposed Strike

The proposed strike that was supposed to be observed starting today in Kalahandi and nine other nearby districts has been withdrawn by the Odisha Private Bus Owners Association. The government was consulted before the decision was made, according to association secretary Debendra Sahoo. The association had issued a warning about agitation in ten western Odisha districts on November 1 in opposition to the government’s LAccMI (Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative) scheme. According to Sahoo, the association will be against the proposal if the government operates buses to transport block headquarters to district headquarters.

Bus owners have assurances from the government that their business will be well-managed. There will be fierce opposition, according to Sahoo, if the government begins operating LAccMI bus services between the district headquarters and the block headquarters. The association’s executive body meeting on November 8 will determine its next course of action. On November 1, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is expected to launch the much-anticipated LAccMI bus service in the Kalahandi district.