Wheels of about 600 ambulances operating under the Dial 108 facility run by Ziqitza Health Care Limited across Madhya Pradesh came to a standstill on April 26 morning following an indefinite strike by the employees. Employees of the Ziqitza Health Care Limited are demanding better work condition and wages.

The strike has hit ambulatory services across the state and the impact was more visible in the rural areas while big cities with alternative services and private hospitals did not feel the pinch.

In Bhopal Hamidia hospital and JP hospital emergency patients were rushed in autos and on two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

About 3,000 employees operating the ambulances run by Ziqitza including drivers and emergency management technicians (IMT) came to Bhopal from different parts of the state to participate in the strike, leaving patients and their families in distress.

The strike did impact patients dependent on treatment at government hospitals. The hospital staffs regret there isn't much they can do to help the patients. There are a few private agencies that provide ambulance services, which the hospitals recommend to the patients in case of emergencies.

However, these ambulances are very limited in number, and would fail to cater to all the patients in need of their services. Since morning, there have been a few cases where people have called for an ambulance, but were disappointed to learn about the strike, and had to look for other means of transport.

On the other hand, most private hospitals in the city are equipped with their own ambulances. Hospital staff, especially of the private hospitals, remains unaffected by the situation.

Till May one nothing concrete has been done to resolve the crisis caused by ambulance strike.

The second crisis has affected farmers of the state. The state government is purchasing wheat from farmers for this purpose thousands purchase centres have been established. Though the government agencies are purchasing wheat round the clock but the farmers are not getting payment immediately. They have to wait for several days to get payment for the wheat they have sold.

The reason for delayed payment is cash crunch. According to a newspaper report payments to the tune of four thousand crores are pending. In view of paucity of cash with the banks purchase has been suspended at many centres. According to official information wheat to the tune of casting seven thousand crores have been purchased. But banks have only three thousand crores to make payment. Looking to the seriousness of the crisis and also in view of the unrest it has caused among thousands of famers chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has contacted union finance minister Arun Jaitly and Reserve Bank governor urging urgent help from theme. According to Pradeep Neekhra, Managing Director, Apex Bank RBI has promised to release cash to the tune of 600 crores within next two to three days. He hopes to get Rs. 2,000 crores within a week.

According to collector Rajgarh farmers are not getting payment for the commodity they have sold. About 40 per cent famers are affected in his district. Collector Shivpuri also confirmed lack of cash for payment to farmers. The chief minister also summoned bankers and asked their help in salvaging the crisis.

Two cabinet ministers have also admitted that farmers are restive because of the delay and payment for the produce they are selling.

The state is also badly affected by the strike of electricity workers and sarpanchs and secretaries of panchayats.

Cashing in the dissatisfaction of the striking contractual power employees, political parties have started luring them to their side by promising to solve their problem. Over 25,000 power staffers are on strike to press their regularisation demand. The employees paid homage to their departed leader at the demonstration site Ambedkar Park on Friday, who died of heart attack while addressing the striking employees.

Contractual Employees’ Association president Ramesh Rathore said the strike of contractual workers of five power distribution companies had entered the 5th day, but the government had not taken any decision into the matter.

The workers are demanding the government to execute the promise made in the election manifesto of BJP on the eve of 2013, Assembly elections. The BJP promised to regularise the employees.

Besides ambulance drivers and electricity workers the state is also badly affected by the strike of panchayats sarpanch and secretaries. The government is a no mood to negotiate with them. On the contrary the government has taken confrontation attitude.

The organisation announced at a press conference that it would lay a siege to the Assembly building on May 3 – the day the assembly will hold a sitting to clear the GST Bill.

Organisation president Dinesh Sharma said that in violation of the Panchayats Act, Panchayat secretary Julania had ordered handing over of the charge of the sarpanchas and of panchayat secretaries to the Rozagar Sahayaks, whose contractual appointments had already expired. He said that on May 3, the organisation will hold a 'matka phod' rally, during which they would lay a siege at the Vidhan Sabha. Sharma said that from May 5, a 'pol khol' (expose) campaign would be launched against Julania and government. (IPA Service)