News By: Santoshkumar Bhalekar (Mobile: 7875757575), Public Relations Officer, 'Vishwas' Factory.
Shirala: The mismanagement of the ST depot in Shirala has severely affected students and caused inconvenience to passengers, along with a 15% fare hike. Protesting against these issues, the Yuvak NCP (Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar) staged a movement at the Shirala ST Depot today (Feb 7).
The protest was led by Yuvak NCP District President Viraj Naik and Yashwant Glucose Factory Chairman Randhir Naik. Office bearers of the NCP Taluka Executive Committee, other dignitaries, party workers, school students, and passengers participated in the agitation. The protest began at 10 AM at the depot entrance, where movement raised slogans against the ST administration and the government. The protesters then proceeded inside the depot and staged a sit-in protest on the bus platform.
Speeches were delivered by NCP Taluka President B.K. Nayakawadi, Vishwas Patil, N.D. Patil, Raghunath Shelke, Sachin Mulik, and others. In their speeches, Viraj Naik and Randhir Naik criticized the deteriorating state of affairs at the Shirala ST Depot. They pointed out the numerous hardships faced by students and commuters, listing key demands for better transport facilities.
Key Demands Raised During the Protest:
- The previous facility of issuing bus passes in villages like Mangle, Sagav, and Kokrud should be reinstated.
- If possible, every school should be provided with a bus pass issuing facility to ensure ease of access for students.
- Bus services should be arranged according to student numbers on each route to prevent any inconvenience.
- No bus routes should be discontinued without prior notice, ensuring that students do not suffer from lack of transport.
- Authorities should ensure that no student is deprived of education due to the unavailability of buses.
- Efforts should be made to procure new buses to meet the growing demand.
The protesters declared that they would continue the protest until senior ST officials from the district arrived at the site.
During the agitation, Depot Manager Dhanwantari Tate addressed the gathering, explaining what steps had been taken to escalate the matter to senior authorities. He also shared updates regarding the improvements made in bus schedules and the demand placed for 20 midi buses. He assured that changes would be implemented within eight days, following which the protest was temporarily suspended.
Police Presence and Organizational Support:
A heavy police force was deployed at the protest site to maintain law and order. The Prahar Sanghatana extended its support to the protest, with Taluka President Bunty Nangre submitting a letter of support to Viraj Naik at the protest site.
Prominent Attendees:
The protest saw participation from several prominent individuals, including Vishwas Kadam from Vishwas Factory, Suresh Patil, Sandeep Tadakhe, Dattatraya Patil, Warne’s Director Vijay Patil, Devendra Patil, Gajanan Sontakke, Yuvak NCP Taluka President Harshad Mane, Shirala City NCP President Sunil Kavathekar, Youth City President Amit Gaikwad, Dr. Dinkar Jhade, Ajay Jadhav, Bajirao Patil, Dr. Indrajit Yamgar, along with several youth leaders, NCP workers, and local dignitaries.
Additionally, Police Inspector Siddheshwar Jangam and Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Atigre were present to oversee security.
This protest highlighted the growing concerns over the ST depot’s inefficiencies, urging authorities to take immediate action and provide better transport services to students and the general public.
