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Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bharat Bandh: Commuters stranded as pvt buses stay off roads
1 2 3 4 Bhubaneswar: Commuters faced a harrowing time on Wednesday as nearly 80% of the roughly 14,000 private buses stayed off the roads in several areas of the state following the ' Bharat Bandh ' called by trade unions and farmers' outfits. Passengers were seen waiting for hours at bus terminals as bus owners decided against plying their vehicles fearing a face-off with protesters. "I have a wedding to attend in Phulbani but I am not getting a bus to reach there. There is no train connectivity to Phulbani so I don't have any option to reach my destination. Though some drivers assured me they may start operating buses in the evening, the marriage ceremony will be over by the time I reach the venue," Manohar Digal, waiting for a bus at the Baramunda bus terminal here, said. A similar situation prevailed in Cuttack as buses on different routes connecting Bhubaneswar stayed off roads. "My mother, who stays in Deogarh, has been suffering from viral fever for the past two days. I need to go home to take care of her and take her to the doctor as well but I did not get a bus to Deogarh," Nirupama Pradhan, a labourer in Cuttack, said. Around 10 trade unions, farmers' outfits, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), and agricultural workers' unions supported the strike against the implementation of four labour codes, increase in working hours and the decriminalisation of labour law violations by employers. Protesters demonstrated in front of railway stations, bus stands/terminals, govt offices, highways and busy squares in different district and block headquarters in various places. Petrol pumps were also affected due to the strike by tanker drivers. Protesters also conducted picketing at busy city squares and in front of different central govt offices, demanding the fulfilment of their 17-point charter of demands. In the capital city, protesters demonstrated at Master Canteen Square and in front of Bhubaneswar railway station, blocking vehicular traffic for an hour. There was even an altercation between people and protesters at some places in the city when the latter stopped vehicles during picketing. Security forces were deployed to maintain law and order across the state. The Bharat Bandh was held a day after the drivers' strike on Tuesday. "Several protesters from the drivers' association stopped buses on the roads on Tuesday and asked drivers to stop operating their vehicles. A few buses were running on Wednesday but it cannot help thousands of stranded passengers. We are monitoring the situation," Debendra Sahu, general secretary of All Odisha Private Bus Owners' Association, said. Suresh Panigrahy, state coordinator of SKM, claimed the strike was successful. "Workers' associations of banks, LIC, transport, mines, industries and business establishments supported the strike and these sectors were affected." Panigrahy clarified that they did not stop any vehicles by force. "The bandh was peaceful," he added.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bharat Bandh disrupts daily life in Odisha; bus services hit, protestors block roads; demands raised against labour laws
BHUBANESWAR: Normal life went out of gear in several places in Odisha on Wednesday due to the Bharat Bandh call given by trade unions and farmers' outfits. They were protesting the implementation of four labour codes, the increase in working hours, and the decriminalisation of violations of labour laws by employers. Common people faced difficulties as buses were not plying on most of the routes in the state. Though trains were running as usual, people were anxious about whether protestors might picket at stations by stopping the trains. 'I have urgent work in Phulbani, but I am not getting a bus now. There is no train connectivity to Phulbani, so I do not have any other way to reach my destination. Some buses are assuring me that they may ply during the evening, but the marriage ceremony will be over by the time I reach there,' said Manohar Digal while waiting for a bus at Baramunda bus terminal. A similar situation was witnessed at Cuttack's Netaji bus terminal and other bus stands in the state. As most areas in the state are not connected with railway networks, people still depend on bus services. Fearing any face-off with protestors, many bus owners have stopped running buses on different routes connecting Bhubaneswar. Around 10 trade unions, farmers' outfits led by Samyukt Kisan Morcha, and agricultural workers' unions supported the all-India strike. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo by Taboola by Taboola They staged demonstrations in front of railway stations, bus stands/terminals, govt offices, highways, and busy squares as a mark of protest in different district and block headquarters in the state. They also conducted picketing at busy squares of cities, in front of different central govt offices, and major institutions, demanding the fulfilment of their 17-point charter of demands. In the capital city, protestors staged a demonstration at Master Canteen, in front of the Bhubaneswar railway station, blocking vehicular traffic for an hour in the morning as a mark of protest. A workers' union conducted picketing in front of Utkal University's main gate. Tuesday's drivers' strike, which blocked the plying of private buses and public transport vehicles, leaving passengers in the lurch, added salt to the wound of the bus services on Wednesday. 'As many protestors from the drivers' association were stopping the buses and asking the drivers not to drive the vehicles, the fear is still there in the minds of bus drivers. Though a few buses are running, I hope the whole bus service will resume by Wednesday evening. We are monitoring the situation,' said Debendra Sahu, General Secretary of the All Odisha Private Bus Owners' Association. Mahendra Parida, a trade union leader, said the govt has literally given a green signal to employers to exploit labourers and employees by increasing working hours and not increasing the minimum wage of labourers. 'The four labour codes are anti-labour and anti-people reforms. We are protesting this,' he added.
