HUBLI: The Lorry Owners' Association has decided to call off the proposed indefinite strike from November 9 in the wake of an assurance from the Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissioner to reconsider the decision to ban the entry of manganese ore-laden trucks into the city during the daytime.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, G.R. Shanmugappa, president, Karnataka Lorry Owners' Association, said the association had decided not to go ahead with the strike as Police Commissioner Narayan Nadamani had promised to allow trucks into the city during daytime except during opening and closing time of schools.

To a query, he said the association was ready to contribute Rs. 1 crore for the proposed ring road. The decision had been conveyed to the Commissioner of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation.

But he expressed the inability of the association to pay the amount in advance. He clarified that the authorities had promised to complete the ring road within three months. The Police Commissionerate recently issued orders banning the entry of manganese and iron ore-laden trucks into the city from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. following complaints from various organisations.

Meeting

On Monday, the Police Commissioner held a meeting with representatives of various educational institutions and organisations along with representatives of the Lorry Owners' Association with regard to the ban on entry of ore-laden trucks into the city. The representatives of educational institutions and other organisations welcomed the step taken by the Police Commissioner and appealed to him to continue the ban.

Relax ban

However, the Lorry Owners' Association and the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the Commissioner to reconsider the ban. They requested him to relax the ban for a few hours during the day.

The Police Commissioner assured them that he would take a decision that would be acceptable to both parties.

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