Kerala - Kochi   

Tipper lorry owners to go on indefinite strike

Special Correspondent

`Harassment' by officials alleged

FEELING THE HEAT: Tipper lorry owners allege that officials are "hunting them down" with a vengeance. - Photo: H.Vibhu

KOCHI: With the Government stepping up pressure on tipper lorries and earthmovers for their role in accidents and filling of paddy fields, their owners are planning to go on an indefinite strike in Ernakulam district to protest against what they call "harassment by officials".

Already, tipper lorries in Thrissur district are on strike, sixth day running, for the same reason.

Ernakulam District Tipper Lorry and Earth-Moving Equipment Owners Association president M.I. Marakar said that the roughly 5,000 tipper lorries in the district would strike work from February 3.

He alleged that the revenue, police and the motor vehicle department officials were taking action against tipper lorries with a vengeance, following the Revenue Commissioner's instructions to strictly check filling of paddy fields.

He claimed that the officials were seizing tipper lorries with no specific reason and taking them to police station. Almost always the reason recorded was "filling paddy fields". The owners were being fined Rs.5,000 by the Collector, he said.

He complained that tipper lorry owners alone, and not the owners of the paddy fields, were being "harassed" by the officials. He claimed that the strike would paralyse construction activities in the district, particularly Government work, including tsunami relief work.

Another functionary of the association said the strike would press for the withdrawal of the Collector's ban on operating tipper lorries and earthmovers after sundown. He reasoned that these vehicles too, like other commercial vehicles, were paying taxes and hence they should be allowed to ply any time of the day.

The association wanted an immediate end to the "harassment" by tahsildars with the help of the police, he said.

Another demand of the association was that whenever the police booked a lorry or earthmover, the driver should be issued a memo stating the reason and time and date.

The owners also expressed their opposition to the Government instruction that all tipper lorries should have speed governors. In their view, all heavy vehicles should be equipped with speed governors to check speeding.

The association leaders are planning to extend their functioning and set up a State-level organisation. As of now, only Ernakulam and Thrissur districts have an organised structure.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Curbs on releasing life convicts
Tipper lorry owners to go on indefinite strike
Over 4,000 turn up for interviews
Technopreneur 2006 begins tomorrow
Show-cause notice to murder convicts
Cut from the classroom
Transportation rates fixed
CPI(M) blockade not to affect IT fair
Around the City
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu