Malda paralysed by transport strike

CHILDREN MISS EXAMS, DM OFFICE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND IMPACT OF STRIKE BEFORE HAND

Statesman News Service
MALDA, 12 JAN: Transport strike in Malda district today threw life out of gear. A number of children could not reach school and missed their final examination due to strike.


The strikers called off the agitation in the evening after the Malda district magistrate Mr. Sridhar Ghosh ensured them that the administration would take steps against the unauthorised vehicles, including motorised three wheeler vans from tomorrow.


“We would ban unauthorised vehicles from carrying passengers in the state and national Highways without permit and valid papers”, said the DM after a meeting with the strikers today.


Transporters in the district had convened the strike in protest against the district administrations’ failure to check the movement of illegal morotised vans on the state and national Highways.


“We understand the inconvenience the strike created for the people and we are sorry for that”, apologised Mr. Uttam Roy, secretary of the bus and mini bus owners’ association.


The strikers ignored the Malda district magistrate’s appeal to call off the strike called at the last minute yesterday robbing the district administration the scope to arrange alternative transportation at least for the school students.


According to the strikers, they had sent the notice to the DM with enough time to spare but the receiving section at the DM office delayed the process.


Caught unawares, the DM Mr. Sridhar Ghosh said: “My staff could not understand the importance of the letter. They gave it to me yesterday evening. I tried to talk the agitators out of the strike but by then it was too late”.


Defending their act Mr. Uttam Roy, secretary, bus and mini bus owners’ association, said: “We were forced to convene the strike after the administration failed to take action against illegal morotised three wheelers and some unauthorised four wheelers”.


The association had convened the strike in mid-December but called it off following the district magistrate and police department’s requests.