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Announcing their decision of calling off their strike, Bihar Rajya Autorickshaws Chalak Sangh general secretary R K Jha and his minibus association counterpart Ramdhani told a press conference that Chief Minister Rabri Devi would hold another round of discussion with their representatives on August 17 to review the provision for hiking the road taxes.
In the meantime, auto-rickshaw and mini bus operators will resume services in Patna and Hajipur to mitigate people's suffering, they said.
The chief minister, RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav, state Transport Commissioner N K Sinha and Director General of Police R R Prasad were also present at the press conference.
The chief minister said the government would simplify the procedure of road permits to auto-rickshaws and mini bus operators but the issue relating to hike in road taxes will be discussed during the next round of meetings on August 17.
The Laloo-Rabri duo appealed to the transporters to come to the negotiating table after resuming their services in the larger interest of the state.
Talks between RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav and representatives of bus operators had remained deadlocked with the state government sticking to its decision to increase road taxes.
There will be no rollback, Transport Commissioner N K Singh said adding the strike was not justifiable.
Transport Minister Awadh Bihari Chowdhury said the state government was considering invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to mitigate the sufferings of people following the strike.
Undeterred by the threat to invoke ESMA, Bihar Motor Transport Federation general secretary Sagirul Haque said transporters were not afraid of repressive measures and the strike would not be called off.
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