Charilam: Students of Ram Thakur College staged a spontaneous demonstration at Charilam Bazar Stand on the national highway on Friday morning, demanding that the state government immediately halve bus fares for college-going students and take strict action against bus operators who are allegedly overcharging passengers on a daily basis.
The students, who had gathered at the bus stand at around 8:30 AM while waiting for their buses ahead of their examinations, raised slogans directed at the state government, Chief Minister, and the Transport Minister, urging them to address the long-standing grievance of student commuters.
According to the agitating students, the government-fixed bus fare from Charilam to Ram Thakur College stands at 23 rupees. However, bus operators routinely collect 30 rupees from students, citing the unavailability of small change of 2 rupees and 5 rupees denominations. The students argued that this practice of rounding up fares amounts to systematic overcharging, and that the burden falls disproportionately on students who travel this route daily.
The students appealed to the state government to introduce a special concessional fare policy for college-going students, reducing the fare by half, on the lines of similar schemes implemented in other states across the country. They pointed out that most of them come from modest economic backgrounds, and the excess expenditure on transport adds significant financial pressure on their families.
The students warned that if their demands are not addressed promptly, they will be compelled to launch a larger agitation in the coming days.