New Delhi, January 10
On the sixth day of the truckers’ strike, the transporters rejected Transport Minister TR Baalu’s attempts to bring them to the negotiation table even as the government tried to mollify them by saying that the diesel price may be reduced by Rs 3 per litre in the coming days.
(According to PTI, the government has enlisted the services of striking truckers’ rival union to break the logjam that has pushed prices of essentials commodities higher, even as more states invoked ESMA to arrest those disrupting goods movement.)
The transporters said talks would take place only if their arrested leaders are set free. “We will not negotiate with the government until AIMTC members arrested yesterday are released. If the government doesn’t budge, we’ll intensify our stir,” warned an official AIMTC. Although the prices of most commodities still remain under control, the invoking of the Essential Commodities Maintenance Act (ESMA) by a number of states has also played a key role in keeping the rates in check.
The government is keeping a watch on the events. In this connection, cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar and other senior officials from various departments, including security agencies, held a meeting here today to review the situation. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would also be apprised of the latest situation.
Earlier, Baalu said he was ready for talks with the transporters, who are demanding reduction in diesel price by Rs 10 per litre, exemption in service and toll taxes and a single permit for nationwide transportation. However, the minister said the government could revoke the permit of truck operators if they do not end their agitation. “We want to impress upon the strikers to kindly call off the strike,” the minister said, while describing the demands as irrelevant. “I don’t see much issue in this strike, as the issues have been sorted out in July 2008 already,” added Baalu.
The minister has also called for an urgent meeting of all state transport commissioners on Monday to discuss various measures being adopted to tackle the nationwide stir. Baalu reiterated that supply of essential commodities has not been affected.
