Three-day private bus strike from May 22 as talks between operators, Bengal govt inconclusive
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Talks between the West Bengal transport department and a unified platform of five private bus operators ' associations failed to resolve the ongoing deadlock on Monday, with the latter firm on their three-day statewide strike of stage carriages starting May 22. The associations, which have come together under the banner Besarkari Jatri Paribahan Banchao Committee (Save Passenger Transport Committee), are demanding immediate resolution of long-pending grievances, including a two-year extension for buses older than 15 years and an end to alleged police harassment over traffic violations.Members of five associations - Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, Bengal Bus Syndicate , West Bengal Bus-Mini Bus Owners Association, Minibus Operators Co-ordination Committee and Inter and Intra Region Bus Association - met senior transport officials and transport secretary Saumitra Mohan in series of meetings, but there was no immediate sign of a breakthrough, PN Bose, spokesperson of the Inter and Intra Region Bus Association, told PTI.Bose said as a last-ditch effort in the interest of commuters, they will hold a meeting with Mohan on May 20, where the deputy commissioners of Kolkata Police across different divisions will be connected virtually."Let's hope against hope," he added.A senior transport official said, "We hope better sense will prevail. We are hopeful they will respond positively to tomorrow's discussion where both sides will discuss the issues," he added."Private bus operators are yet to recover from the losses incurred during Covid lockdown in 2020. The state government is yet to announce a viable financial package for the stage carriage sector, which is now struggling for survival. Still, we are struggling to keep our fleet running, but police excesses like slapping false traffic violation cases and imposing hefty fines are making our survival difficult, Bose added."We had also sent a letter to the Chief Minister's Office, but there has been no response," he said.Currently, around 2,500 private buses operate in Kolkata and surrounding areas, while around 27,000 buses ply across the state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
L-G orders probe into AAP's free coaching scheme for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ABC) of the Delhi government has been asked to probe alleged corruption into the free coaching scheme started by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Wednesday. Lt Governor V K Saxena has ordered the probe, he added. Under the Jai Bhim Pratibha Vikas Yojna SC, ST and OBC students were provided free coaching at private institutes for competitive exams. Addressing mediapersons with SC/ST Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj, Sood alleged that a bill of Rs 145 crore was prepared during Covid-19 pandemic in 2021-22 for payment to private coaching institutes. He added that the previous AAP government neither sought any list of students from the coaching institutes nor verified if they were being provided coaching. 'Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had recommended that ther allegations be probed,' he said. 'The scheme, initiated in 2018, aimed to provide free coaching by transferring government funds directly to coaching institutions. AAP leaders insulted Dr BR Ambedkar's legacy and turned a welfare scheme into a nexus of corruption… In 2018, 4,900 students were supposed to receive coaching, and in 2019, the number was 2,071. However, during the pandemic, AAP leaders colluded with the coaching mafia. Originally allocated a budget of Rs 15 crore, the scheme saw a massive spike in billing, with coaching institutions submitting claims of Rs 145 crore between July 2021 and August 2022… Upon investigation, it was revealed that coaching institutions provided data for 13,000 students, but only 3,000 could be verified. The rest had no supporting documentation or register entries,' said Sood. The AAP, meanwhile, accused the BJP government of 'systematically dismantling' welfare schemes. 'The BJP is using corruption allegations as a smokescreen to justify the closure of these schemes despite not a single allegation being proven to date… From shutting down mohalla clinics, ending free bus travel for women, to withdrawing free medicines from government hospitals and moving towards the privatisation of Delhi's water supply, every step is calculated to erase AAP's model of governance,' AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said. The party, in a statement, also alleged that BJP had not taken a single step to address the issues faced by ordinary people. 'The women of Delhi, to whom the BJP had promised Rs 2,500 per month, are still waiting for the money. Instead of fulfilling this guarantee, the BJP has delivered betrayal,' it said.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Trump admin eases work-from-home rules for federal employees
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that federal employees may now work from home or adjust their schedules to observe religious fasts and prayers, marking a shift from its earlier stance requiring full-time in-office Donald Trump had mandated on Inauguration Day that all federal workers return to their physical workplaces five days a week. However, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is now urging agencies to take a more flexible approach. OPM Director Scott Kupor advised departments to allow remote work around religious holidays and to accommodate employees who need breaks for fasting or prayer by permitting them to work from home. If an agency denies such a request, it must provide evidence of a "significant operational impact."advertisementThis policy marks a further softening of Trump's earlier opposition to telework. On the campaign trail, he criticized remote work for federal employees and even warned of firing those who refused to return to the office. After the election, the OPM later introduced exceptions, such as for military spouses. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who played a key role in Trump's government efficiency push, said in November that ending what he called the 'COVID-era privilege of staying home' would likely lead to a 'wave of voluntary resignations,' which he of May 2024, a Biden-era report found that over 1 million federal employees—nearly half the civilian federal workforce—were eligible for at least part-time remote work, with around 10 per cent working entirely from home.- EndsTune InMust Watch
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
L-G orders probe into ‘₹145-cr. coaching scam' during AAP rule
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday said Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena has directed the Anti-Corruption Branch to investigate an alleged ₹145-crore scam by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana, a scheme meant to provide free coaching to marginalised students. Addressing a joint press conference with Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, Mr. Sood said that the AAP government indulged in corruption during the COVID-19 period, using a scheme meant for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) as a cover for massive financial irregularities. Mr. Sood said the scheme had originally promised free coaching for SC/ST students for exams such as UPSC, NEET, and JEE. 'But unfortunately, AAP leaders indulged in corruption... This is not only an insult to Babasaheb's vision but also a betrayal of thousands of students who relied on this scheme to shape their future,' he said, vowing that the culprits will not be spared. Citing data, the Minister said that while 4,900 students were enrolled in 2018 and 2,071 in 2019, the number of students claimed to have been coached between July 2021 and August 2022 shot up dramatically. Despite the scheme's original budget of ₹15 crore, coaching institutes submitted claims worth ₹145 crore. 'Fake bills' Mr. Sood alleged that although data was submitted for nearly 13,000 students, only 3,000 could be verified, with no supporting documents found for the rest. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta echoed the allegations in a post on X, claiming that 'serious financial misconduct' had occurred in 2020-21. 'The budget of this scheme was only ₹15 crore, but the AAP government forwarded files with fake bills exceeding ₹142 crore,' she wrote. She also alleged that claims were submitted without supporting documents, applications lacked signatures, and some institutions raised 100% claims in the names of Dalit students who never actually received coaching. 'AAP has insulted the ideals of Babasaheb and tainted the sacred field of education,' Ms. Gupta said, asserting that the Anti-Corruption Branch would investigate the case thoroughly and bring the guilty to justice. The L-G's office is yet to issue an official statement. The schemewas launched in 2018 to support students from SC, ST, and OBC communities with an annual family income of less than ₹8 lakh. It aimed to provide free coaching for competitive exams like engineering, medicine, and civil services, with the Delhi government covering the fees. AAP response In a sharp rebuttal, AAP issued a statement and urged the BJP to 'move beyond rhetoric' and vendetta campaigns and focus on governance. 'They have shut down a functioning model. The electricity, the health services, the education reforms –all halted. Instead of working, BJP leaders spend their days abusing AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. They have no vision, no plan,' it said. AAP challenged the BJP to inspect all aspects of its infrastructure. 'Check every brick in Delhi's schools, every needle in our Mohalla Clinics. Check the buses, the hospitals – check it all. But after you're done with your witch-hunt, start doing some real work,' the party said.
