Dhanbad traders call off indefinite strike against crime and extortion after meeting with officials
Deputy commissioner and SSP assure prompt redressal of grievances and increased security measures
In a show of protest against rising crime and extortion, traders in Dhanbad, the coal capital of Jharkhand, stopped their businesses for a "indefinite period" starting on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, physicians affiliated with the Dhanbad chapter of the Indian Medical Association abstained from working in outpatient departments (OPDs) in both government and private hospitals, joining the merchants who had closed their stores for the day.
Ajay Narayan Lal, general secretary of the Dhanbad district chamber of commerce, announced on Wednesday night that Dhanbad deputy commissioner Varun Ranjan and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjeev Kumar had discussed the cancellation of the traders' call for an indefinite strike.
"We decided to call off the agitation after a meeting at around 8pm on the assurance from deputy commissioner and SSP of prompt redressal of all our grievances along with increase in security network and police patrolling and every month a joint meeting will be held with traders and senior administrative officials," Lal stated.
Lal had earlier said that they were compelled to engage in this kind of activism since the police had consistently ignored their repeated requests for meaningful action to stop the escalating extortion operations.
Since the shopkeepers in the Dhanbad area have been having restless nights for the past several months, we have been urging with the police to take action against extortion organizations. But despite our repeated requests, the local police authority did not respond, according to Lal.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
