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Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna
After much persuasion by the Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Bihar Motor Transport Federation on Wednesday decided to postpone its strike till August 25.
After a week, buses and auto rickshaws started plying on the roads of Patna and elsewhere in the state.
Some 125,000 commercial vehicles have been off the roads in Bihar since July 31 after the transporters went on a strike protesting against the road tax hikes carried out on July 16.
The BMTF president Jagannath Singh said that the federation, following a late night meeting on Tuesday with Rabri Devi and RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, took a decision to this effect.
"The strike was suspended purely on humanitarian considerations as lakhs of people were reeling under the impact of floods in the state," Singh said.
The government was facing an uphill task in reaching relief material to the marooned people, he said.
Besides, the strike had created scarcity of essential commodities like vegetables, LPG cylinders and medicines.
On August 25, the federation would again have talks with the chief minister. "The future course of action would depend on the outcome of the parleys," Singh said, adding that if the talks fail the transporters would again resort to an indefinite stir.
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