Truckers call off strike

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 (PTI) — The week-long nationwide transporters' strike was called off tonight.

The strike was called off following a settlement between the government and All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), which spearheaded the agitation, an official announcement said.

The strike was to protest against the recent 35 per cent hike in diesel prices.

The government refused to roll back the hike in diesel prices, Road Transport Secretary Ashoke Joshi told reporters.

After protracted negotiations that lasted for more than three hours, the AIMTC made the climbdown on their demand on diesel price rollback.

The transporters and the government considered issues, including collection of toll charges, reduction in the quantum of permit fee, fixation of minimum freight rates under the motor vehicles act and declaration of road transport as an industry.

Surface Transport Minister Nitish Kumar, who headed the government side, explained that "government’s position regarding diesel price hike has already been stated".

The government agreed that the "possibility of reviewing the quantum of toll to be collected should be examined in detail", Mr Joshi said this would be done by a committee after collecting required details.

On permit fees, the government agreed to include the issue in the agenda for the transport development council meeting. It also agreed to consider sympathetically and take necessary steps with regard to industry status for road transport sector.

The minister said he would request state governments to withdraw criminal prosecutions initiated against members of AIMTC during the agitation to maintain cordial relations.

The minister also agreed to request the state governments for fixing minimum freight rates for transportation of goods and finalise the issue within 30 days.

The AIMTC went on strike on October 21 demanding a rollback of the recent 35 per cent hike in diesel prices, but the government had made it clear that diesel prices were "non-negotiable".

Meanwhile, reports from states indicated that the strike was slowly losing steam with a number of unions pulling out of the agitation.

Several transport unions in West Bengal, Orissa, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have already withdrawn from the strike following agreement with state governments on freight hike.

Official sources said there was no shortage in essential commodities anywhere in the country.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has issued a notice to AIMTC and two other Delhi-based transport unions on a public interest litigation seeking to declare the agitation illegal and unconstitutional.