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In view of a Maharashtra bandh called by Dalit outfits to protest the violent clashes in Pune on Monday, school buses will stay off roads in Mumbai today and domestic carriers, including the government-owned Air India, waive charges for ticket cancellations and no-show.
Air India said it will not charge any fee for cancellation of tickets or rescheduling of a journey to/from Mumbai on January 2 and 3.
Air India has decided to waive ticket cancellation/ rescheduling charges for its flights to and from Mumbai for today, a senior airline official said.
Private carrier Jet Airways has extended the waiver to its customers till today.
"Due to the ongoing unrest in Mumbai, Aurangabad and Pune, Jet Airways has extended the waiver for travel date January 3, 2018. Hence, date/flight change, refund, no-show penalties and fare difference if any, are waived off on all the confirmed tickets issued for flights into/out of Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad for travel date January 3, 2018," Jet Airways said in a statement last night.
Budget carrier IndiGo said it will be providing change and cancellation fee waiver for flights to and from Mumbai and also Pune for today and tomorrow.
The School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA) also said it would not operate its fleet of 40,000 buses today.
Anil Garg, president of SBOA, told PTI, "For security reasons, we have decided not to ply our buses in the first shift tomorrow. If the situation remains peaceful, we will run the buses in the second shift."
However, if a particular bus owner wanted to operate his services tomorrow, it would be his call, he added.
"Law-and-order is beyond our control. Therefore, we cannot take the risk," Garg said.
The state government has said schools will remain open.
Dalit organisations have called a Maharashtra bandh today to protest against the BJP-led state government's "failure" to stop the violence in Pune.
Clashes between Dalit groups and supporters of right-wing Hindu organisations during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district had left a man dead.
The clashes broke out at Bhima-Koregaon when people were headed towards the war memorial in the village, about 30 km from Pune city, the police had said.
Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, which the forces of the British East India Company had won over those of the Peshwa.
Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community -- then considered untouchables -- were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins and the victory was seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.
(Inputs from PTI)
