The Hindu : Govt. invites truckers for talks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

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Govt. invites truckers for talks

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 16. While the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) today threatened to intensify the ongoing agitation by truckers by extending its scope to cover even the movement of exempted essential items, the Government woke up to the situation and invited the striking truckers for talks.

The Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, B. C. Khanduri, announced at a hurriedly summoned press conference that an invitation had been sent to the AIMTC for resumption of discussions tomorrow. The representatives were invited to come and meet him directly, he said.

While there was no word from the AIMTC on how it would respond to the invitation, indications were that the meeting might finally come about. The AIMTC representatives, who have so far only met officials of the Ministry, are said to have insisted on a meeting with Mr. Khanduri to put across their viewpoints.

Official-level meetings had taken place till April 11 where the Secretary, Road Transport and Highway, Ashok Joshi, had explained the Government's position after taking up the truckers demands with the Ministries concerned. The Government's position was restated by Mr. Khanduri at the press conference today.

Mr. Khanduri said the Ministry had already explained its position and was willing to help resolve the problem through dialogue. It was ready and playing its role even though some of the truckers' demands concerned the States.

Meanwhile, the AIMTC has accused the Government of not being alive to the situation and the political and economic implications of the stir. It also found fault with the Government for insisting on secretary-level discussions rather than showing resolute political will to resolve the issues raised in the truckers' 9-point charter of demands.

Asserting that the AIMTC president had rightly declined to further participate in the secretary-level talks and insisted on a meeting with the Minister, J. M. Saxena, AIMTC secretary-general, said that in case their demands were not conceded by April 18, the exempted essential items too would be brought within the purview of the strike from that day.

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