The Hindu : Front Page : No headway in talks with truckers

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Thursday, Jul 03, 2008
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No headway in talks with truckers

— PHOTO: AFP

AT A STANDSTILL: Trucks lying idle at a terminal on the outskirts of Mumbai on Wednesday following a nationwide strike called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress to protest against increased highway toll tax and duty structure on diesel. Truckers stopped ferrying goods, barring fuel and other essential commodities and the strike crippled trade and industry. The Union government’s talks with truckers have not yielded any result.

New Delhi: Truckers launched on Wednesday a nationwide indefinite strike to protest increased highway toll tax and duty structure on diesel. The strike immediately hit trade and industry and threatened to choke food supplies.

Two rounds of talks held on Wednesday between the government and truckers’ representatives failed to achieve any breakthrough, fuelling fears of a spike in prices of edible items in the coming days.

The mass protest crippled industrial activity in many parts of the country and hit food supplies to Kerala, which depends on neighbouring states for staple edibles.

Transporters, however, maintained supply of essentials such as fuel.

“We want a complete roll-back of the increase in toll tax, but we are also open to a middle path,” said Gurinder Pal Singh of the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) after the second meeting with Transport Ministry officials here.

Highways and Road Transport Minister T.R. Baalu told AIMTC representatives earlier in the day that a roll-back of toll tax rates, which were increased in February, was not possible as it was done through an Act of Parliament.

“The strike will continue,” Mr. Singh told journalists. The AIMTC is also demanding honouring of service tax agreement of 2004 and removal of speed governors on highways.

“Three of the four demands of the transporters have been met... When the next meeting will be held has not been decided yet... Transport of essential items have been only partially affected,” Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt said. — PTI

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