The Hindu : Kerala News : Lorry stir: court seeks action-taken report

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Tuesday, Apr 03, 2007
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Lorry stir: court seeks action-taken report

Staff Reporter

Government given time till April 10 to file response

Kochi : A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the Government Pleader to inform the court about the action taken by the Government against the lorry operators who had gone on a strike.

The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice M.N. Krishnan adjourned to April 10 to enable the Government Pleader to get the information from the Government.

The court issued the oral directive when a writ petition filed by K.U. Paul from Kochi against the ongoing lorry strike came up. He sought a declaration that the strike was illegal.

The petitioner also pleaded that a direction be issued to the Regional Transport Authorities in the State to cancel the permits of those lorry owners who failed to operate their vehicles under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. It also sought a direction to the RTAs to seize the lorries, which refused to operate. The petitioners submitted that the lorry owners had gone on strike in protest against the Government order on installing speed governors. In fact, the order was issued on a directive from the Supreme Court. Besides, a Division Bench in November 2006 declared illegal the strike announced by the bus and lorry operators.

`A challenge'

Meanwhile, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran said in Thiruvananthapuram that the strike was a challenge to the people. The Government had conceded their demands to the extend possible. "But we are bound to enforce the Supreme Court order on speed governors.

In fact, the Court had directed State Government officials to speed up matters and ensure full compliance by April 15. The Association should withdraw the strike and cooperate with the Government."

Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas said that the increase in road tax proposed in the budget was only 10 per cent and that was not the real reason for the strike. The tax had not been revised for ten years. The lorry rentals, on the other hand, had gone up several times during the period.

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