Govt, truckers ready for talks
No move to withdraw hike
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 22 — The government today said it had not felt the need to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) so far, even as the movement of goods remained paralysed as the nationwide truckers strike entered the second day today.

Both the government and the apex body of the transporters, All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), have expressed their willingness to resume talks.

The Secretary for Road Transport and Highways, Mr A. K. Joshi, said here that while the movement of heavy trucks remained suspended in majority of the states there was smooth flow of essential commodities, including perishable items like vegetables and fruits as the light commercial vehicles were plying.

He said, "Trucks within the states was not affected much and it was only inter-state movement that has been hit."

In any case, perishable items did not require long distance movement and there was no shortage of essential commodities, he said.

Commenting on the price hike of essential goods in several states, Mr Joshi said it appeared to be due to panic buying by the consumers.

Reports received from state governments said that there was enough stock of foodgrains and other essential items.

He said there had been no talks with the striking truckers in the last two days but added that the government was always open for talks.

"We are prepared to talk to them (AIMTC) at any place and at any time whether it is morning, afternoon or even mid-night," Mr Joshi said.

The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) president, Mr O. P. Agarwal said his organisation was prepared for resuming dialogue with the government on its demand of roll-back of the diesel prices.

Reiterating that there was no question of roll back of diesel prices, Mr Joshi said the government was prepared to discuss other avenues to mitigate the problems of the transporters.

He said transporters should have no grouse against the hike in diesel prices as they would be passing it on to the consumers.

On the truckers' argument that they were losing out as most of their contracts with private and government parties was of long-term nature and did not have escalation clause, Mr Joshi said the government could look into it.

An inquiry with a majority of government departments had revealed that most of their long-term contracts had an escalation clause.

In cases where the clause was missing the government was prepared to intervene, he said.

He also denied the transporters' contention that the government had hiked the permit fee saying the permit fees was in conformity with the agreement reached between the various states and the AIMTC.

Mr Joshi said transporters had increased freight rates by as much as 25 to 40 per cent, much more than the actual hike of diesel prices.

The increase in the price of diesel worked out to around Rs 3 per litre and if one was to assume that a truck loaded with 70 litres was to travel the same distance as that of the pre-hike days, the increase in running costs worked out to around Rs 220.

Considering the fact that a truck loaded around 10,000 kgs of goods per single run, the increased worked out to 22 paise per km.

He said under the Motor Vehicles Act there was a provision for the government to fix the minimum and maximum rate.

The government, however, was not considering this option at the moment.

Diesel was brought out of the purview of the administered price mechanism. The rates have been revised nine times keeping in tune with the international prices. Of this six times, the revision have been downwards.

From a basic cost of Rs 8.37 per litre on November 7, 1997, the cost had come down to Rs 6.62 per litre in February this year before going up again to Rs 9.63 per litre at present.

Meanwhile, the AIMTC president claimed that over 22 lakh truck operators stayed off the roads since Thursday.

Mr Agarwal said the strike was 100 per cent successful and except in some places, where the state government were running mini-trucks with the help of the police, movement of goods had come to a standstill.

Describing as "misleading" a Petroleum Ministry advertisement seeking to justify the hike in the diesel prices, the AIMTC said there was a lot of scope for reducing, refining and excise charges. This was evident from the fact that oil companies had made huge profits in the past two years.

During July-September this year, the landed cost of diesel was Rs 6.30 per litre and refining and excise charges worked out to Rs 4.41 taking the total cost to Rs 10.71. But the price was hiked by 35 per cent, the AIMTC said.

Referring to a reported statement of Surface Transport Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, that diesel prices was not under his control, Mr Agarwal said the minister had considered even the other demands of the transporters such as abolition of toll charges, national permit fees and amendment to Carriers Act, 1865.

On the Centre’s reported advice to state governments to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act to deal with the strike, the AIMTC said the measure would only add fuel to the fire as the striking transport operators were ready to face any situation, including arrest, to force the government to withdraw the diesel price hike.

Diesel price hike was painful: PM
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 22 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today described the government’s decision to hike the price of diesel as "painful" and said it had no other option.

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, the Prime Minister said the government had to take this hard decision in the overall interest of the nation. He later told reporters that there was no proposal to roll back the hike in the prices of diesel.

He said, "We have not taken any decision at the moment to roll back the price hike of diesel and there is no proposal to do so".

Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister asked the party members to make efforts to explain to the people the rationale behind the government taking this decision. He urged the members to also explain to people the reasons which made the government take this step.

Meanwhile, the strike by the truckers entered the second day today, severely paralysing the movement of goods across the country. Both the government and the truckers continued with their respective stance, with the truck operators also criticising the government for inserting advertisements in connection with the diesel hike in the major newspapers today.

The truckers described the advertisement by the Petroleum Ministry as misleading and said there was scope for reducing the price of diesel.

As a result of the impasse between the government and the truckers, over 22 lakh truck operators stayed off the roads since yesterday in response to the call by the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) for an indefinite strike. The AIMTC claimed that strike was total throughout the country and that there was no movement of any goods anywhere.

Incidentally, both the sides have hardened their stand, but were still ready for talks. Both the government and the AIMTC claimed that they were open to discussions. However, the Secretary Road Transport and Highways, Mr Ashoke Joshi said "as of now, no talks with the truckers are scheduled for today".

Another organisation of truck operators, the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training today claimed that over 50 per cent of the trucks and light commercial vehicles had not joined the strike.

Mr S.P. Singh of the foundation said that about 2.5 lakh goods-laden trucks which had been stationed on the highways during the day yesterday left for their destinations in the night. Such trucks numbered about 10,000 in the Delhi region alone. The truck drivers avoided plying their vehicles during day time fearing violence.

Further, nearly 3.5 lakh medium and small sized vehicles were operating from railway pitheads, clearing about 60 lakh tonnes of goods daily against and average of 80 lakh tonnes, he claimed.

Besides this, about six lakh vehicles falling in the five-nine tonne load capacity category were plying across the country as they were not members of the transport congress. He said that such vehicles were carrying vegetables, fruits, general merchandise, auto and electronic components and other machinery.

He claimed that reports from the regional monitoring centres of the foundation pointed to the strike having 20 per cent impact in the east, ten to 30 per cent in north and central, region 10 to 60 per cent in the south and 10 to 40 per cent in the west. The truck operators in West Bengal had distanced themselves from the strike, he claimed.

Truck operators were not willing to continue with the strike indefinitely in view of the government’s firm stand against rolling back the diesel prices, he claimed.

PTI: The Delhi Government warned of punitive action including arrest against hoarders as prices of essential commodities including vegetables and fruit, escalated.

Business activities in the wholesale markets of Azadpur, Naya Bazar and Okhla remained standstill as over 1.5 lakh trucks in the capital kept off the roads.

Tempos and mini-trucks have been ferrying essential items across the city since the strike began yesterday.

In Azadpur vegetable mandi, some truckers tried to take out their vehicles but were persuaded by their unions not to defy the call given by All-India Motor Transport Congress.

Meanwhile, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Prof Yoganand Shastri warned retailers and grocers against hoarding.

"We do not intend to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act as of now but we will take action including arrests against hoarders," Mr Shastri said.

He said an emergency meeting of the Delhi Cabinet has been called later today to discuss the situation and efforts were on to ensure supply of essential commodities in the city.

Prices of vegetables touched a new high in the retail markets even as farmers on tractor-trailers tried to make up for the gap caused by the truckers.

No impact on arrival of paddy
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 22 — The indefinite strike by truck operators, which entered the second day today, and has mostly affected the interstate movement of goods, and its impact is yet to be felt on transport of goods within Haryana.

There was no impact on the arrival of paddy and 49,621 tonnes of paddy was received at various mandis. The total arrivals in the season crossed the 11 lakh tonne mark out of which about 8.5 lakh tonnes, 77 per cent, was purchased by millers and the rest by different government agencies.

The transportation of vegetables, fruit, onion and potato was affected to some extent. Farmers were forced to dispose of their vegetables locally at lower rates in certain pockets.

Dr N.C. Jain, Vice-President of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has called for an immediate dialogue to call off the strike, which is causing a loss of Rs 8000 crore a day.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Government has allowed transportation of vegetable, fruit and other eatables on the roof of buses to maintain the supply of daily necessities.

The Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been directed to take necessary steps to streamline the supply of essential commodities like oil, LPG cylinders and foodgrains.

A control room has also been set up in the office of the Transport Commissioner, Haryana to monitor the situation closely.

All the DCs and SPs have also been asked to requisite trucks and lorries for movement of essential goods and commodities, whenever required. All transport vehicles of the state government and departments and public sector undertakings are be pooled for the movement of essential goods.

A close watch will be kept on the movement of petroleum products and LPG whenever oil companies approach for assistance. The same will be provided and tankers for the transportation of petroleum products would be requisitioned. Mobile police escorts will be provided for tankers and trucks operated by oil companies whenever required. Adequate police protection will also be made available to the vehicles coming from other states within Haryana for smooth transportation of essential commodities.

Police protection will be provided, especially in sensitive areas like oil dumps at Ambala, Panipat, Hisar and railway stations so that striking transporters do not prevent the movement of vehicles and tankers.