Kolkata, 15 October (H.S.) : Ferry services across 14 ghats resumed on Thursday afternoon, just 24 hours after an abrupt shutdown, providing major relief to thousands of commuters and festive revellers traveling to Kolkata for Durga Puja pandal-hopping on Panchami. The river transport services, which had been suspended indefinitely since Wednesday, restarted at 12:30 PM following a crucial round of deliberations between state authorities and agitating transport employees.

The impasse ended after Minister Umesh Roy convened an emergency meeting with workers of the Hooghly Nadi Jalapath Paribahan Samabay Samiti. Assuring the agitating personnel, the minister confirmed that their two-month pending salaries and festival bonuses would be disbursed within the next couple of days, prompting the union to call off the strike and resume operations immediately.

The disruption began when ferry workers across Howrah, Hooghly, and North 24 Parganas ceased operations over unpaid dues, sparking serious concerns over festive mobility. With lakhs of commuters and visitors arriving at Howrah railway station to enter Kolkata for Durga Puja, the sudden stoppage had raised questions about how the public transport system would cope with the massive influx relying solely on limited bus and taxi services. The prompt resumption of launches across all 14 piers has successfully averted widespread transit disruptions during peak festive rush hours.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh