Truck operators hold rally at Nakodar; truck burnt

Truck operators in Punjab today held a rally at Nakodar near Jalandhar to protest the state government's decision of disbanding 134 truck unions in the state.
One of the protesting truck operators set his truck on fire. They also blocked the Bathinda-Jalandhar highway for some time.
All Punjab Truck Operators' Union chief Happy Sandhu said a truck operator burnt his vehicle as he was upset over the government's decision of disbanding unions.
"The chief minister had promised us that our interests will be taken care of but no step has been taken for our benefit," he said.
"There is anger against the government for not protecting the interests of small truck operators," Sandhu said.

The state government had in July approved the Punjab Goods Carriages (Regulation and Prevention of Cartelization Rules), 2017, which bars forming cartels or unions.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said it was unfortunate that truck operators were being oppressed.
SAD spokesman Daljit Cheema also said the Congress government "has pushed the truck operators into unemployment and the black phase of the Punjab economy".
He urged the truck operators to desist from burning their trucks and destroying their means of livelihood.