DHARMAPURI: 45 business owners of the Dharmapuri Business Association staged strike condemning the shift of bus operations to the new bus stand and demanded its restoration to old bus stand.
Nearly 70% of the businesses across Dharmapuri Municipality remained closed on Thursday, owing to the strike called by all business associations. This was due to the loss of livelihood of over 5,000 businesses due to the abrupt shift of bus operations to the new bus stand. Association representatives stated, "Over 90% of the businesses around the bus stand were impacted, and over 70% of the businesses remained closed. The strike resulted in a loss of over `35 crores worth of commerce."
C Ravichandran, member of Dharmapuri Town Business Association, told TNIE, "The primary demand is the restoration of TNSTC and private bus operations in the old bus stand. Over 5,000 businesses in Dharmapuri town rely on the old bus stand, and the abrupt shift of operations to the new bus stand has hit local businesses. We seek all buses to arrive here before going to the new bus stand. We have no objection to the functioning of the new bus stand; the old bus stand must not be entirely abandoned. "
B Sundar, a shopkeeper in the old bus stand, said, "It is not only the businesses that are affected but has left the commuters most distressed. Most of them arrive at Dharmapuri to avail health care, education and business centred around the old bus stand. But the abrupt shift has left people muddled and decreased the connectivity. Restoring operations at the old bus stand would benefit people."
The Dharmapuri New Bus Stand was inaugurated virtually earlier this month by the Chief Minister MK Stalin on February 5. Five days after the opening, a portion of the bus operations had been in the old bus stand, specifically buses bound for Chennai, Vellore, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Harur, Uthangarai, among others.
For the past three weeks, numerous petitions have been filed with the administration, municipality, Regional Transport Office, seeking restoration of operations at the new bus stand. Last week, another strike was also held.
Dharmapuri police told TNIE that over 45 protesting businessmen were detained, and cases will be registered against them.