Home > Business > PTI > Report
Truckers reject Centre's plea to end strike
April 20, 2003 20:47 IST
Truckers on Sunday rejected a fresh appeal by the government to end their indefinite strike.
The All India Motor Transport Congress secretary general, J M Saksena, said the government had asked the truckers to end the strike before coming to the negotiating table.
"It is not possible for us to hold talks with the government with conditions attached," he said, as the strike entered its seventh day on Sunday.
Keeping in mind the welfare of the public, the AIMTC, which is spearheading the strike with 2.7 million trucks in its fold, had extended the deadline for including liquefied petroleum gas and milk within the purview of the strike till Wednesday, he said.
Truckers further resolved to sit on a dharna on Monday to press for stable fuel prices, non-inclusion in the VAT regime and an end to 'police harassment'.
In Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, there were claims and counterclaims on the fate of the strike with some groups indicating the stir had been called off.
The former president of the AIMTC, O P Aggrwal, denied reports of any split in the two states.
"The strike is very much on and both the truck and bus operators in Orissa are party to it."
Regarding Andhra Pradesh, he said the reports were 'baseless' and some people who had no locus standi were trying to spread rumours.
© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
|