TNI Bureau: The Bhubaneswar ‘Auto Rickshaw Mahasangha’ has called a 12-hour strike on Tuesday to protest against the diesel price rise and restrictions on the domestic subsidised LPG cylinder.

More than 17,000 auto rickshaws will stay off road from 6 am to 6 pm in the capital city.

The Auto Mahasangha called the strike after their appeal to the Transport Department for increasing auto fare was not heeded. “In other states there is a technical committee that discusses the fares with the autorickshaw unions when there is a hike in fuel prices, but no such thing happens in our State,” said Bhubaneswar Auto Mahasangha general secretary Padman Kumar Samal. He also claimed that every auto rickshaw driver is facing a loss of Rs 50 per a day after the diesel price hike.

The State capital has not adequate city bus service; hence, the city commuters have no other option but to suffer throughout the day.

Government on its part need to introduce meter riding bound service on auto rickshaw for the benefit of all quarters.