The Hindu : Truckers' strike enters second day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2003

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National

Truckers' strike enters second day

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL. 15. Even as the countrywide transporters strike entered the second day and started impacting the movement of goods and prices of essential items, there was little evidence of any fresh initiative on the part of the Government to break the ice.

Though the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has set up a control room to monitor the situation, no indication of any initiative to discuss the problems of the transporters was reported. In fact, the Minister of Road and Transport Highway, B.C. Khanduri, is said to be away in his constituency.

The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has claimed a spontaneous response to the strike call with more and more transporters joining the movement.

The Ministry was in contact with AIMTC, sources said, and issues raised by the body could be further discussed in the near future. However, officials had met a delegation on Saturday and explained the Government position to them, the sources added.

The Ministry stand was that most of the truckers' demands concerned the State Government or other Ministries. So far as their demand for a revision in the price of fuel was concerned, the transporters were told that the Petroleum Ministry was willing to consider fixation of prices on a quarterly basis, subject to a variation not exceeding 25 paise.

Regarding their other demands, it said that a draft to replace the Carriers Act was on the anvil.

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