Truck Drivers withdraw strike in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The association of commercial drivers in Odisha has withdrawn its strike, as the cease work affected passenger bus services and transportation of petroleum products and milk.

The Odisha Drivers' Mahasangha announced the withdrawal of the strike on Saturday night, the third day of the agitation, after getting assurance from the state government that their demands would be looked into.

"We hope the Odisha government will fulfil our demands," Mahasangha president Prasant Menduli said.

State transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur also said that drivers have withdrawn the strike and normalcy will return.

Drivers across the country were on strike over stringent provisions for ‘hit-and-run’ cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mahasangha was part of the All-India strike.

The drivers also said that there was a provision for imprisonment of two years under Section 304 of the IPC for accidents.

As per the provisions in the BNS, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing police or any official from the administration can face up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.

Meanwhile, the driver’s strike has severely affected the transportation of petrol, diesel and cooking gas in the state.