BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: With the drivers’ strike entering its second day on Thursday and threatening to spiral out of control as movement of essential commodities and fuel was completely stalled, the state government finally made a move to negotiate with the agitators and resolve the issue.
Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena convened a meeting with a delegation of Driver’s Ekata Maha Mancha in presence of senior officers and assured the association that the government was actively considering their demands and would resolve the pending issues appropriately within three months.
Though the drivers’ association indicated to cooperate and consider the assurance after the meeting, there was no formal intimation about the withdrawal of the strike till the last report came in. Meanwhile, movement and supply of essential commodities, vegetables, fuel and gas were badly affected across Odisha for the second consecutive day due to the strike. More than 400 truckloads of perishable food items, including vegetables, fish and eggs were stranded at different locations, sources said.
Several vegetable mandis including Chhatra Bazar in Cuttack, the biggest vegetable and fruit wholesale market of the state, have gone out of fresh vegetables and fruits due to non arrival of commodities. The Unit-I market and Aiginia that cater to the demands of the state capital were under similar stress.
Sources said more than 300 trucks transport vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities from outside states to Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Balasore everyday. Though few vehicles carrying vegetables and fruits had reached on Tuesday night, movement has come to a halt, both from in and outside of the state, since Wednesday.
Chhatra Bazar Byabasai Sangha President Debendra Sahu said there was no availability of major vegetables while the stock of bananas had completely run out. Other fruits may last for only a day. As a consequence, prices of vegetables and fruits have skyrocketed with potatoes and tomatoes almost doubled in the last 24 hours, he said.
Secretary of Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangha Sudhakar Panda said the state government should immediately take steps and instruct police to provide protection to the stranded trucks to reach their respective destination. “Hundreds of trucks with perishable goods have been detained at different points. The goods will not last long if the trucks are not released in next 24 hours. The markets will also go out of essential commodities soon as stocks are going down. The government should act immediately,” he demanded.
The state is also staring at a shortage of fuel. While several fuel stations in Balasore and Bhubaneswar have been emptied, long queues were seen at some petrol pumps in the capital city in anticipation of an out-of-stock situation. State coordinator of oil industry Niraj Nimje apprised the government that the fuel tankers were unable to reach their destinations due to the protests by drivers at various places.
Meanwhile, the state government has constituted a task force under the chairmanship of chief secretary with DGP and principal secretaries of Commerce and Transport department and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department as members to monitor the situation and ensure free movement of essential commodities. Three control rooms have been set up to extend assistance to operators and the public.