Stir likely to continue
Govt, truckers stick to stands
Tribune News Service and PTI

NEW DELHI, Oct 23 — Prospects of an early end to the truckers agitation suffered a setback today as talks between the All India Motor Transport Congress, which called the stir, and the government saw the two sides sticking to their respective stands.

Movement of goods across the country was affected by the strike, resulting in a sharp increase in prices of vegetables and other perishable goods.

The Truck Owners’ Association in north Bengal withdrew the strike while the Kerala association offered a withdrawal making it conditional to state government’s agreeing to hike in freight charges.

The AIMTC and the government held the first round of talks since the strike began on October 21 but it failed to produce an agreement with the AIMTC sticking to its demand for a rollback on the increase in price of diesel and the government firmly rejecting it.

Emerging from the one-hour talks, AIMTC president O.P. Agarwal expressed the hope of a settlement in a day or two saying "there is a possibility of resolving the issue in next one or two days."

Road transport secretary Ashoke Joshi, while reiterating that there would be no roll back in diesel prices, said, "The AIMTC wanted to know how diesel prices are fixed as per the import parity formula. They will examine it and come back to us."

Earlier, the AIMTC reported substantial progress in their talks held this evening.

The government, while remaining firm on its stand of no roll back in the hike in diesel price, has offered to set up a committee consisting officials of the Surface Transport Ministry to take up all other issues raised by the AIMTC on a periodic basis.

The committee, beginning November 1, would meet the transporters on the first Monday of every month and try to resolve all problems of the transporters, Secretary for Road Transport and Highways, Ashoke Joshi told reporters after a nearly one-hour long meeting with a delegation of the AIMTC.

It was apparent today that the striking transporters were prepared to tone down their demands, especially the one on rollback of diesel price. Among the demands listed by the AIMTC president, Mr O.P. Agarwal the demand for rollback of diesel price figured last in his list of demands. It was preceded by other demands like doing away with frequent checking of vehicles at border posts and "torture" by officials of the police and RTO, removal of "goonda raj" at checkposts, doing away with additional levies like the Rs 1200 golden card in Gujarat and overloading tax of Rs 150 in Haryana, and removal of toll tax on new highways.

Mr Agarwal clarified that other issues had taken precedence today as the matter involved the Surface Transport Ministry. Diesel he said was within the purview of the Petroleum Ministry.

The AIMTC also raised the issue of the hike in the permit fees, which was notified yesterday, saying the hike was in range of 300 per cent to 3000 per cent.

"I am hopeful that there would be relief for the people in the next one or two days", Mr Agarwal, told reporters after the meeting senior officials of the ministries of Surface Transport and Petroleum. Apart from Mr Joshi, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum, Naresh Narad was among those who attended the meeting.

The Secretary for Road Transport and Highways too expressed similar sentiments saying he shared Mr Agarwal’s optimism. "I am hopeful of an early solution", he remarked.

Talks between the two sides, which ended in a stalemate on Wednesday, were resumed this evening after the Surface Transport Ministry invited the striking transporters for another round of deliberations.

The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and marked the end of the stalemate, Mr Agarwal said.

Mr Joshi said the AIMTC had sought details of the diesel hike and the calculations on which it was based among other documents for further discussion. The government too had sought a detailed note on the problems being faced by the transporters.

Earlier in the day, there was sabrerattling by both sides with Union Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, describing the strike as "unjustified and anti-people". He said that the strike should be withdrawn as early as possible as the diesel price hike was inevitable and it was in the long-term interest of the general public that petroleum prices became market related. Otherwise, he said, the escalating fiscal deficit on account of subsidised petroleum products would have a deleterious effect on future generations. Mr Agarwal criticised the Governments of Orissa and Gujarat for invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the striking truckers.

Condemning the arrest of 26 persons under the Act, Mr Agarwal flayed the government for taking recourse to "such draconian laws."

On the ground level, the running of heavy trucks remained paralysed throughout the country and prices of essential commodities were said to be increasing everywhere.

Mr Joshi said though the inter-state movement of goods was at a low ebb, supplies of essential commodities were being maintained in all parts of the country by operating light commercial vehicles and additional rail wagons.

Delhi’ites, already reeling under the impact of truckers’ strike, were in for more problems from Monday with tempos, which had helped in maintaining the transportation of essential commodities, deciding to join the strike.

"Problems are bound to come on or after Monday as tempos have also decided to go on a strike...But the situation is being closely monitored," Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Yoganand Shastri said.

Criticising the "rigid attitude" of the Centre, Mr Shastri said "some deal has to be worked with these associations so that a solution is hammered out as soon as possible."

Mr Shastri warned hoarders to refrain from taking advantage of the present situation and said the government would not hesitate in invoking the ESMA.

Meanwhile, managing committee secretary general of the Delhi Goods Transport Association Rakesh Goel threatened to continue the strike in the city even if the AIMTC decided to withdraw the strike following negotiations with the centre.

President of the Delhi Grain Merchants Association Rishi Prakash Goel pledged support to the government and clarified that there was no dearth of goods in the Capital.