M A I N   N E W S

Govt offers to consider truckers’ demands
Tribune News Service and Agencies

New Delhi, April 20
In a bid to end the week-long truckers strike, the government today offered to consider a majority of their demands, including the key issue of keeping the sector out of the VAT regime and repeal of the ban on old trucks, and appealed for a halt to the stir.

Quoting a communication from the Ministry of Road Transport, All India Motor Transport Congress Secretary-General J.M. Saksena said the government had by and large no differences on the seven out of 10 demands of the truckers.

The AIMTC today demanded the resignation of Transport Minister B.C. Khanduri for his failure to resolve the impasse.

The offer comes as the strike entered its seventh day leading to a steep rise in the prices of fruits and vegetables across the country.

“The government has agreed to repeal orders junking 15year-old trucks, rein in errant insurance companies and non-inclusion under VAT”, he claimed.

The other issues agreed to by the government include ban on overloading, restructuring national permits scheme, computerisation of driving licenses and registration books, and amendment in the Carriers Act.

However, the government has not agreed to the demand for withdrawing 50 paisa per litre cess on diesel, toll on four lane roads, excise duty on chassis and frequent fluctuations in diesel prices.

“In view of the fact that there is no conflict (between two of us) on most of the demands raised by the AIMTC, the minister (B.C. Khanduri) has requested that strike be called off. This will enable us to have a more meaningful discussion”, the official communication said.

Meanwhile, Mr Saksena denied reports of a split amongst striking truckers in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

According to an estimate, fruit and vegetables prices shot up by 30-50 per cent in various parts the country inspite of the measures taken by several state governments to ensure the supply of essential commodities.

Reports from states like West Bengal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh suggest that the prices of essential commodities has been constantly rising amid fears among consumers that supply of commodities like cooking gas and milk may be hampered.

In many parts of the county poultry has been severely affected while in Tamil Nadu business at dhaba and road-side shops on national and state highways, mainly dependent on lorry crew, has been seriously affected due to the ongoing truckers strike.

In Assam, the state government has urged the railways to provide additional rakes on freight trains to augment supply in view of the truckers strike, official sources said here.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi held a high-level meeting and directed the authorities to ensure that there was no hoarding and artificially induced price rise in the market with prompt action taken to check price rise of commodities.

In West Bengal, vegetable prices are sky rocketing as 80 per cent trucks were off roads on the seventh day of the nationwide indefinite truckers strike.

Supply of not only fruits and vegetables but also non-perishable commodities like edible oils has been badly affected causing a big hole in common man’s pocket.

HYDERABAD: Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Lorry Owner’s Association (APLOA) on Sunday claimed that the seven-day old truckers’ strike in the twin cities was total and it would go by the decision of the All India Motor Transport Congress’ about the withdrawal of the strike.

Denying Transport Minister Damodar Reddy’s claim that truckers in the twin cities have called off the strike, P. Gopal Naidu, president of the association, said the APLOA, representing 228 transport organisations in the state had been invited by the government for talks on Monday.