Over 50,000 Odisha drivers protest in search of Covid warrior tag, minimal wage and pension

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Over 50,000 drivers below the banner of Odisha Driver Mahasangh carried out a large padayatra within the capital metropolis on Friday in search of achievement of their 10-point constitution of calls for together with Covid warrior tag, minimal wage, pension, and insurance coverage cowl.

The drivers from totally different districts joined the padayatra from Palasuni to Chief Minister’s residence Naveen Nivas. They, nevertheless, staged a dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg because the safety personnel, deployed by the Commissionerate of Police, prevented them from marching farther from the Station Square. 

Security was tightened close to the CM’s residence to keep away from any disagreeable scenario throughout the mass rally.

Vehicular site visitors was disrupted because the kilometers-long rally occupied a serious portion of the National Highway (NH) 16 and Janpath Road within the metropolis. 

Members of the Mahasangh stated even when transport service continued all through the lockdown and shutdown interval in Odisha and plenty of drivers misplaced their lives to coronavirus on the road of obligation, the state authorities did not declare them as Covid warriors. 

“Though we worked as frontline workers, no financial support was extended to us, unlike other Covid warriors,” alleged one of many members of the Mahasangh. 

Apart from in search of recognition as Covid warriors, the Mahasangh members demanded a minimal remuneration of Rs 15,000 to drivers of sunshine autos and Rs 20,000 to heavy autos.

They additionally sought a month-to-month pension after 55 years of age, an insurance coverage cowl of Rs 20 lakh, Rs 5 lakh below reasonably priced housing scheme, roadside restrooms and parking facility, and extension of validity of their driving license in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have also urged the government to make a provision of Rs 10 lakh financial assistance to the family of drivers who meet accidental death or sustain a critical injury in road mishaps,” stated Chaitan Pradhan, a member of the Mahasangh.

The Mahasangh alleged that the drivers have been compelled to launch the Padayatra from district stage every week again after the state authorities failed to contemplate the grievances that they had positioned earlier than the district administrations throughout Odisha on Drivers’ Day on September 1.

The Mahasangh members threatened that their protest will intensify and they’re going to boycott obligation from November 20 if their calls for should not met inside three weeks.