Karnataka road transport staff withdraw strike, buses resume
Bengaluru, Dec 14: Karnataka state-owned transport corporation employees, who were on strike since December 10, called it off on Monday evening following talks with the state government.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, who was leading the transport agitation, announced the end to the strike at the Freedom Park here.
"We are calling off our strike as the state government has accepted nine out of 10 demands," Chandrashekhar announced.
Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who holds the transport portfolio, expressed happiness over the development.
"I am happy that the strike has been called off.
I also greet the people of Karnataka who stood by the government," Savadi told reporters here.
The employees' key demands were compensation equivalent to the corona warriors who died in the line of duty due to COVID-19 and recognising them as government employees and salaries paid accordingly.
With no end to the strike in sight, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday called a meeting with his cabinet colleagues including Savadi, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Social Welfare Minister B Sriramulu.
Later, Savadi met with the representatives of the agitating employees.
In the minutes of the meeting released to the media, Savadi said the demand for compensation on par with corona warriors would be given.
He did not spell out anything on the second demand of the agitators to recognise them as government employees.
He , however, said the government will consider one of the demands on implementing the sixth pay commission report after taking into account its financial condition.
Following the assurance to consider paying salaries as recommended in the sixth pay commission, the protesting employees agreed to call off the strike.
"Our demand to be recognised as government employees will remain.
We are not compromising on that," Chandrashekhar told the agitating employees, many of whom had camped at the Freedom Park with their families.
Soon after the strike was called off, city bus, inter-city and inter-state bus services resumed.
According to the KSRTC and the BMTC officials, the bus services will resume fullscale from Tuesday.
Nearly 1.25 lakh employees of the various state owned transport corporations and the 33,000 Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation employees had gone one strike putting the daily commuters of Bengaluru, inter-city and inter-state passengers to hardship.
To bail out daily commuters, the government had assigned private transporters to run city buses and inter- state buses but that did not help the commuters much as they were overcharging, a few passengers told PTI.
A KSRTC Union leader K Prakash, who was part of the agitation, claimed the Sixth Pay Commission report was not among the demands.
"We had only two demands -- compensation on par with corona warriors and recognising us as government employees.
We don't know how this Sixth pay commission popped up. We also don't know how the nine demands surfaced," Prakash added.
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Araijeet's four goals hand India 5th title in men's junior Asia Cup
Muscat, Dec 4: Araijeet Singh Hundal slammed four goals as defending champions India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 in the summit clash to win a hat-trick of titles in the men's junior Asia Cup here on Wednesday.
This was India's fifth title in the continental tournament, having previously won the crown in 2004, 2008, 2015 and 2023.
The tournament was not held in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Araijeet converted three penalty corners in the fourth, 18th and 54th minutes besides finding the net from a field effort in the 47th minute. Dilraj Singh (19th) was the other goal getter for India.
For Pakistan, Sufyan Khan (30th, 39th) converted two penalty corners, while Hannan Shahid scored from field play in the third minute.
Japan defeated Malaysia 2-1 to claim the third spot earlier in the day.
There was hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides as both India and Pakistan fought hard for ball possession in the first quarter.
The highlight of the first quarter was ariel passes employed by both the teams.
But Pakistan had the first laugh, striking as early as the third minute through a field goal from Shahid.
India didn't sit back and secured their first penalty corner seconds later, and Araijeet stepped up to draw level with a powerful drag-flick to the right of Pakistan goalkeeper.
India upped their game in the second quarter and secured their second penalty corner in the 18th minute and Araijeet struck again with another powerful flick.
A minute later, a fine field goal by Dilraj extended India's lead to 3-1.
Pakistan, however, reduced the margin in the 30th minute through a penalty corner conversion by Sufyan.
Pakistan were the better side on display after the change of ends and they drew level in the 39th minute through another penalty corner conversion by Sufyan.
India secured their third penalty corner in the 47th minute, but Araijeet's effort was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua.
Araijeet, however, was not to be denied his hat-trick as he found the net from a field effort seconds later to hand India the lead again.
India pressed hard on the Pakistan citadel in the final 10 minutes and secured a few more penalty corners and Araijeet found the net again from a fine variation to make the scoreline 5-3.
