Berhampur: The countrywide strike by truck owners over a series of demands is slowly acquiring serious proportions as goods transportation has already been affected in this city, a report said Tuesday.
The strike, which entered its fifth day Tuesday, has affected supplies to the city. It is apprehended that the strike might seriously affect trade and commerce if urgent steps are not taken to make the truckers withdraw the strike. As a result of the strike, traders are forced to depend on limited supplies of groceries from neighbouring states, transported by light motor vehicles having inter-state permits.
Over 6,000 trucks in Ganjam district are participating in the strike called by their umbrella body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC). While hundreds of trucks were found parked in the Ganjam Truck Owners Association office premises at Fastgate area, several others are parked at Auto Nagar and other places in the city. However, transportation of essential items has been excluded from the strike.
Among others, the truckers are protesting against rising fuel prices and demanding reduction in Central and state taxes by bringing diesel in the ambit of GST, so that its price can be reduced. They claim the daily change in fuel prices has hit them hard as they are unable to fix the rent for goods transportation.
The AIMTC is also protesting the ‘flawed and non-transparent’ toll collection system on national and state highways. They have demanded the abolition of toll collection as it costs them time and fuel loss worth Rs 1,50,000 crore annually.
The truckers also claim that the system favours the road concessioners. One of their demands is reduction in third-party premium in insurance and exemption on premium from GST. Exemption and abolition of indirect taxes and national permits for all buses and trucks are also on the list. They insist on removing the direct port delivery tendering system also.
Ranjit Panda, AIMTC vice-president, said that their strike is receiving overwhelming support from all quarters and has warned that the strike will continue till their demands are met. The trucks owners are being sensitised with over 6,000 of them joining the strike. He claimed that not a single truck can be seen plying on the national and state highways. Panda lamented that even though the issue is acquiring serious proportions, the government is yet to call them for resolving.
Santosh Sahu, Ganjam District Chamber of Commerce secretary, rejected claims of any food crisis arising out of the truckers’ strike. He said that transportation of potato and onion is normal and traders have sufficient food stocks to meet the demand of the customers for over a fortnight. However, the situation might slip out of their hands if the strike continues for the next 10 days.
PNN