Truck drivers call off agitation amid shortage of fuel
BHUBANESWAR: Amid shortage of fuel and other essential commodities across the state, the Odisha Driver Mahasangha called off its ‘quit steering wheel’ protest against the Centre’s new hit-and-run law on Saturday. The Mahasangha’s members held a meeting with Transport department officials over their various demands and called off the agitation in the evening. “The state government has agreed to our demands due to which our strike has been called off. If required, we will hold protests against Centre’s new law in the coming days,” said Mahasangha president Prasanta Menduli in a video message.
Transport department sources said one of the demands of the Mahasangha was to compensate the drivers killed in road accidents or any other reason.Three compensation claims of the drivers’ body were settled by the department on the day, said sources. Even as the protest was called off, petrol pump owners pointed out it will take them three more days to replenish their stock.
“Fuel is supplied across the state from oil depots in Jharsuguda, Paradip, Balasore and Jatni. On Friday, the petrol supply deficiency stood at 75 per cent and on the day it was 10 per cent. We expect the supply to increase to 25 per cent by Saturday night as the strike has been called off,” said Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association general secretary, Sanjay Lath.
The last supply of fuel to petrol pumps in the state was made on Thursday night. Bhubaneswar’s daily fuel requirement is 3.12 lakh litre and the petrol pumps recorded a 20 per cent jump in sales on Friday due to panic buying among the customers.
Chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena also held a meeting with officials of various departments and oil companies and reviewed the situation. Apart from fuel, the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack faced milk shortage on the day as supply by Omfed remained disrupted. Omfed supplies 1.20 lakh litre and 80,000 lakh litre milk to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack respectively everyday.
“If the strike had not been called off, serious difficulties could have emerged while transporting goods from wholesalers to retailers,” said general secretary of Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangha, Sudhakar Panda.
Pariba (vegetables) Byabasayee Mahasangha president Kabi Swain said though there was no shortage on the but the situation could have worsened had the agitation continued.