UPSRTC employees call off 24-hr 'chakka-jam'

Lucknow, Feb 6: Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) employees called off their 24-hours 'chakka jam' after the state government announced its decision not to denationalise the organisation. The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of Chief Minister Mayawati's cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh with Roadways Employees Union representatives late last night.

With this, the State Workers Union, who had joined the UPSRTC employees in their battle, also announced to cancel their strike. Earlier, it had announced closure of all government offices for today to protest the police action on UPSRTC workers. Traffic around the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court premises was thrown out of gear for over three-hours as thousands of UPSRTC employees fought a pitched battle with the police, when they tried to march towards the Vidhan Sabha without prior permission of the district authorities.

Trouble had begun, when the mob, who had gathered overnight from across the state -- tried to march towards Vidhan Sabha, but were stopped by their leaders only to inform that the earlier programme of staging the protest had been postponed.

This agitated a section of the protesters. They tried to march towards Vidhan Sabha, but were stopped near the office of the Lucknow Divisional Commissioner.

UNI