The Mamata Banerjee government’s populist line is about to face the test of the harsh reality as the transport industry has given a call for 24 hours strike tomorrow in Kolkata and its surrounding districts.
The associations of private bus owners and taxi owners have called the strike to press for their demand of a rise in the fare structure commensurate with the recent hike in diesel price. A section of the transport industry has given a call to suspend bus, minibus and taxi services in Howrah, Hoogly, North and South 24 Parganas districts. They have been demanding for a minimum hike of one rupee in the bus fare, Rs 13 in the taxi fare and two rupees for minibus. Since a large number of people who daily come to Kolkata to work are depended on these transport system, normal work in the city offices is likely to be affected. The Trinamul led Progressive Taxi Association and Joint Council of Bus Syndicate have decided to stay away from the strike, after they were prevailed upon by the party heavyweights, but their member operators are openly expressing sympathy for the strikers.
The transport minister Subrata Bakshi has appealed to the Bus and taxi owners to call off the strike, but stopped short of assuring them of considering their demand for a fare hike. The transport secretary P P Gopalika has indicated that the government is in no mood to give in to the demand of a hike. It is learnt that the chief minister Mamata Banerjee is strongly opposed to any idea of putting extra burden on the common people. Earlier, the electricity generating and distribution companies (like CESC and WBSEDCL, DPL) wanted to hike the power tariff to meet the rising cost of fuel. But the chief minister, in her capacity as the power minister of the state, has disallowed the move to hike the electricity tariff. Tomorrow’s transport strike is the first of its kind which is going to test the will and determination of the state government.
The CPI (M)’s trade union organization CITU has also come forward to oppose the proposed transport strike. The CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty has said today they are opposed to the strike. At the same time he criticized the state government accusing itself of being indifferent to the ordinary people’s interest. Chakraborty stressed the point that “the government has not taken any step to resolve the crisis by initiating dialogue with the transport industry. Though there are TMC minister and leaders who control these transport industry.” Incidentally, the present sports minister Madan Mitra and TMC MLA Swarnakamal Saha are two prominent leaders who control a number of transport associations.
