Bus owners threaten chain hunger strike
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 17
The All Goa Private Bus Owners association has decided to go on a chain hunger strike from Monday, July 19, as the government has refused to accept their demand of 15 paise per km fare hike.
The bus owners had initially demanded 20 paise increase in the bus fare in wake of the hike in diesel prices, however, the government increased the fare only by 10 paise per km.
“We met Chief Minister Digamabar Kamat and put before him our grievances but he refused to understand our problem,” association General Secretary Sudip Tamankar told Herald.
He stated that, “The 10 paise hike will not help the buses which run on less than 11 km route and hence we had demanded at least 15 paise hike which the chief minister turned down.”
“He (CM) told us that diesel rates will come down in near future, which we cannot depend upon,” he said.
Under the current situation, Tamankar added, it has become impossible to run the business and hence they were resorting to hunger strike.
“I will go on indefinite hunger strike while the members will go on chain hunger strike,” Tamankar said adding that the decision was taken as the deadline given to the government to increase the fare expires tomorrow.
“We do not want to trouble the common man by keeping buses off the road and hence decided to go on hunger strike and if the government fails to meet our demands in few days we will be forced to go on indefinite strike,” he stated.
