The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Truckers’ strike from Tuesday

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 30, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Truckers’ strike from Tuesday

Special Correspondent

It has been called by the AIMTC

Transporters irked by frequent rise
in diesel price
Rival federation not to join strike

BANGALORE: Four organisations affiliated to the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents’ Associations will join the nationwide truck strike from Tuesday midnight.

A few organisations affiliated to the All-India Confederation of Goods Vehicles Owners’ Association (ACOGOA) will not join the strike. The all-India strike has been called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

According to president of the federation, G.R. Shanmugappa, the strike is aimed at bringing pressure on both the State and Union governments to rescind a few decisions that had been proved to be detrimental to the growth of goods transport sector.

Mr. Shanmugappa told presspersons that the transporters were irked by the frequent increase in the diesel price. He pointed out that diesel price increased by Re. 1 per litre every year between 1997 and 2002 and by Rs. 2 per litre every year from 2002.

He said this increase had a negative effect on the industry.

He said that from 2002, the industry paid the Government Rs. 63,500 crore towards various types of toll. The Government had increased the highway toll from Rs. 1.35 to Rs. 2.40. The Union Government had also brought the truck operators under ambit of service tax.

Earlier, only the consignor and the consignee were asked to pay service tax.

He said the strike was also against the implementation of the speed governor rule.

He said that if the State Government did not resolve the issue in 10 days, truckers would lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha and also block traffic in the city.

At a separate press conference here, the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ Association stated that it will not join the strike as it was “unwarranted” at this point of time. According to president of the federation B. Channa Reddy, the Union Government had already provided exemption from service tax.

Producing a gazette notification of the Centre, Mr. Reddy said there were no real issues that warranted a national-level transport strike.

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

Karnataka