World | India
Indian truckers' strike enters seventh day
Baalu calls a meeting with state ministers to break the stalemate
- IANS
- Published: 23:41 January 11, 2009
New Delhi: The nationwide truckers' strike entered the seventh day on Sunday despite several states using provisions of law to term it illegal, even as Union Surface Transport Minister T.R. Baalu called a meeting with his state-level counterparts today to find ways to end the impasse.
The government also claimed it had the support of the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Associations in ensuring that movement of trucks starts in some states and to facilitate supplies of essential commodities.
"Trucks have started plying in various parts of the country including Mumbai, Pune, Vijaywada, Hassan and Jaipur among others. The situation is improving in other parts," Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt told reporters here yesterday.
He said the government was willing to hold talks with the protesters to find a solution, but the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), which called the stir, made it clear that no parleys were possible until their leaders were let off by authorities.
At least five of the union's leaders were arrested under the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act, invoked by several states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, as also the National Security Act.
Apex body
Those arrested included AIMTC president Charan Singh Lohara and its secretary S. Venugopal, who had told IANS on Friday that no talks would be possible unless every member of his union was released.
"We will not go for talks with the government until our members are freed and freed unconditionally," said Vinish Khanna, the joint secretary of the union, the apex body of transporters.
"We will continue our strike," he said yesterday, adding an estimated six million trucks have been off the roads since last Monday.
The truckers were also unimpressed by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora's statement last Saturday that the government was looking at a Rs3 (Dh0.23) per litre cut in diesel prices.
The AIMTC is demanding a reduction of at least Rs10 (Dh0.76) a litre in prices of diesel, a 35 per cent cut in prices of tyres and a uniform value-added tax across the states.
The truck operators have been on a nationwide strike since last Monday that has not only disrupted interstate movement of goods, including those meant for exports, but also sent prices of fruits and vegetables spiralling.
The government has been seeking cooperation from the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Associations, who are not participating in the strike, to ensure smooth movement of goods and commodities.
The government also decided to give temporary permits for 7-15 days to allow free flow of goods across borders among states and to suspend or revoke the permit of strikers under Section 86 (e) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Industry lobbies such as the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) have appealed to the truckers to call off their agitation as the country was going through an economic turmoil.
"The strikers need to sit across the table with concerned authorities and sort out their demands in an amicable manner and try to keep petty issues on margins at times when India is trying its best to fight global slowdown," said Assocham president Sajjan Jindal.
No shortage of essential items
Avoid panic stocking of essential commodities or you may end up shelling out more money. According to the Market Produce Committee in Delhi, there is enough stock of all essential items to meet the demand in the national capital.
"The truckers strike has not affected the supply and prices of fruits and vegetables at all. People should avoid panic buying as some opportunistic retailers may go for black-marketing," Rajkumar Bhatia, member of the Azadpur Market Produce Committee, told IANS yesterday.
"The outflow and inflow of fruits and vegetables to the northern region and Uttar Pradesh has not been affected. Only the outflow of perishable fruits to the southern and western states has been affected as the traders there refused to bear the transportation risk," Bhatia added.
The retail vegetable and fruit outlets in the capital are also selling the items at normal prices.
"The strike is of no significance to us. We are getting vegetables and fruits at normal rates and we are selling them at usual prices," said Pawan Kumar, a fruit seller.
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