Bhubaneswar, 07 October (H.S.): Private buses in Odisha will not participate in the statewide bandh scheduled for Thursday and will continue to operate, said Lokanath Pani, president of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, on Wednesday.

Pani said bus services are an essential public service and, therefore, the association has decided not to join the bandh. Private buses will ply across the state and passenger transportation will continue as usual, he said.

However, Pani urged the state government to ensure adequate security arrangements for buses and passengers during the bandh. He appealed to the government to take necessary measures to facilitate the safe operation of private buses and ensure uninterrupted passenger movement.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda