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| Truckers end eight-day-old strike |
| Press Trust Of India / New Delhi Jan 13, 2009, 00:50 IST |
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Govt agrees to form a panel to look into their demands, industry relieved.
Truckers today called off their eight-day-old strike “unconditionally”, a development that would restore movement of essential goods and ease pressure on prices, after the government assured to look into their demands. The decision to withdraw the agitation, which had disrupted movement of commercial and essential goods, leading to huge losses to businesses, came after the agitating All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) held detailed discussions with Transport Minister TR Baalu after his meeting with state transport ministers.
Jointly announcing the decision, Baalu told reporters: “The strike has been called off. The demands of the AIMTC will be looked into by a committee to be chaired by Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt.”
He said the committee would submit within eight weeks its report on the demands raised by the AIMTC and others, adding that the leaders arrested in the stir, including the apex body’s president and other office-bearers, would be released.
A joint statement by the government and AIMTC members said: “The AIMTC withdraws the strike unconditionally. Transport services shall be restored forthwith.”
Talking to reporters, AIMTC ex-president Gurinder Pal Singh said, “The government has agreed to consider our demands within eight weeks and assured to release our arrested leaders within a day or two after taking legal advice.”
According to the agreement, the AIMTC will make a detailed representation on service tax notices, deduction of TDS (tax deducted at source) from truck freight payments, cut in tyre prices by doing away with import restrictions, reduction in duties, and a single national permit.
The issues will be taken up by the Department of Road Transport and Highways with other ministries and departments concerned. Joint Secretary (Transport) SK Dash will be the convener of the committee, which will have three finance secretaries and four transport commissioners of states, along with four members from the AIMTC and one from the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicles Owners’ Association. “The committee will oversee and advise the government on all-India permit and other issues,” Baalu said.
Industry expressed relief over truckers ending their strike, which had impeded work in key areas at a time businesses are reeling under the global meltdown. Industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said the end of the strike was a matter of relief as it was “holding up major economic activities, including transport of essential goods”. It expressed hope that the transporters would get their demands met without disrupting the economy.
Industry body Ficci said the strike had created an uncertainty at a time when the economy was going through a critical phase. “Continuation of the strike would have imposed further strain through increase in prices and disruption in industrial activity,” it said.
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