Pvt bus operators threaten to go on a hunger strike

Kolkata: A section of private bus operators on Thursday threatened to go for a hunger strike demanding reduction in diesel price and fare hike from the second week of September.

"We have already submitted several letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate withdrawal of diesel price hike. We will wait for his response till September first week. If we don't receive any response then we will go for a hunger strike maintaining COVID-19 protocol," said Tapan Banerjee, general secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicates (JCBS).

He reiterated that hunger strike will held near Y-channel at Esplanade. A similar protest will also be held in front of district magistrate offices in various parts of the state including Malda and East

Midnapore.

"We are suffering losses because private busses are running according to the seating capacity to maintain physical distance in the wake of COVID-19. We want that the state government should increase fare hike to stop us from dying unnatural death," pointed out Banerjee.