Strike Enters Day 5 In Jammu And Kashmir's Samba, Buses Off Road

The private passenger bus service along the Jammu-Pathankot highway remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day on Friday to protest against the newly set up toll plaza in Samba district, officials said.

However, the people in other parts of the Jammu region heaved a sigh of relief as All J&K Passenger Transporters Association (AJKPTA) called off their indefinite strike after holding a meeting with a senior government official here.

While the private passenger vehicles went off the roads along the Jammu-Pathankot highway on Monday against the toll plaza at Sarore in Samba, the AJKPTA-sponsored indefinite ''chakka jam'' hit normal life in the Jammu region on Thursday with commuters facing tremendous hardship in reaching their destinations.

"The indefinite strike has been called off after we got an assurance from the divisional commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma that major relief will be given to the people from the toll tax at Sarore," AJKPTA president TS Wazir said.

He said representatives of the association will meet the state administration and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) again next week and raise other long-pending demands including revocation of nine per cent one time tax for registration of new vehicles.

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