HP truckers join nationwide strike; essential services remain unaffected

Shimla, July 20

The nationwide strike of truckers has evoked mixed response in Himachal Pradesh as transportation of essential commodities like milk, medicines, vegetables, fruits and other items remained unaffected.

Most of around 85,000 trucks remained off road in the state on the call of nationwide strike by the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the All Himachal Truck Operators Federation (AHTOF) Chairman Vidhya Rattan claimed.

However, the transportation of essential commodities remained unaffected as truckers continued carrying them as usual. ‘We have sent 13 trucks of apples, capsicum, cauliflower and cabbage to Delhi, Okhla and Ghazipur from Theog in Shimla district today,’ vice-president of truck union Theog Sanju Bekta told PTI.

Vidhya Rattan said that they had already decided to exempt essential commodities from the strike.

Truckers’ key demands include revising of diesel rates quarterly instead of everyday, getting diesel under the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and rationalising toll barriers, he added. PTI