MNS workers also stopped many star buses during their protest at Ravi Nagar Square on Saturday.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists staged protest at Ravi Nagar Square on Saturday to protest against suspension of star buses services to Mangrul, Dhamna, 14th Mile and Dabha. During their agitation, the activists also stopped many buses plying on the roads. There were reports of manhandling too. MNS workers claimed that the school children were suffering a great deal as a result of withdrawal of bus services from the concerned stoppages. The MNS activists also alleged that from this year, the star bus is hiking the charges and hence are not issuing student passes too.
School children from Mangrul, Dhamna, 14th Mile and Dabha were also made to join the protest as they display placards demanding resumption of star bus services from their areas.
Soon after MNS staged protest, General Manager Operations, Star Bus, Sanket Pandey and Ankit arrived at Ravinagar Square and assured to resume the Bus services to these destinations.
The protest was led by Vice-President of City unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Prashant Pawar. The star bus authorities claimed that there are toll booths on these points. They have to pay heavy toll booth charges. They also claimed that they have to bear the toll charges even when the buses do not have sufficient number of passengers.
Talking to Nagpur Today, Vice-President of City unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Prashant Pawar demanded that the star buses should be immediately resumed from Mangrul, Dhamna, 14th Mile and Dhabha to ferry school students, irrespective of any reasoning. He added that MNS will take an aggressive stand if the students suffer due to lack of star bus facilities.
A student shows out a placard to support demand for resuming star bus services from Dabha to Sitabuldi.
Exempt star bus with students from paying toll charges
Pawar said that the toll booths are run by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and cannot be managed by the district administration. However, he added that in many parts of the state, school buses and star bus ferrying school students are exempted from paying toll charges. Pawar said that he will escalate this issue further and get an exemption for star bus locally too.
The MNS activits who took active part in staging the agitation include Sushrut Kher, Milind Mahadev, Chandu Lade, Sachin Kadu, Vinod Rewatkar, Rakesh Bangre, Santosh Gaur, Santosh Gaikwar and Anand Fiske.
Immediately on receipt of information the Ambazari police personnel rushed to the spot and ensured that the agitation is peaceful and without any violence. The police officials of Ambazhari Police Station included PSI Chaudhari, PSI Korwate, PSI Jadhav, WPSI Kale and staff.
MNS workers during their protest at Ravi Nagar Square on Saturday.
