About 5,000 nurses in Madhya Pradesh have been on strike. The High Court has condemned the strike calling it illegal, at a time when their services are most required. The direction follows the plea filed
by the Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch, saying it has caused a lot of inconvenience to the population.
The Court has requested state authorities to take immediate measures to address the grievances raised by the nurses, via the Joint Forum Nursing Association so that their strike comes to an end.
The nurses want increments, and are demanding jobs for the next of kin of the nurses who lost their lives to COVID. They are also seeking the status of ‘nursing officer’.
In Ludhiana, doctors at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital are striking against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. Over 400 doctors working at the civil hospitals in Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon, and 10 community health centres joined the protest.
In Chattisgarh, about 12,000 private bus owners went on an indefinite strike demanding hike in bus fares. The bus operators claim that they are already suffering from the lockdown imposed due to COVID last year and the ensuing hike in diesel prices has only added to their woes. They also want the scrapping of rules pertaining to vehicle owners having to pay tax for vehicles which are not in use, after a maximum relaxation period of two months. For most operators buses have remained idle for a major part of the last one and a half years.
