Truck strike: Deadlock continues

Crucial first round talks between the government and transporters to end the four-day long strike failed on Thursday with both parties stick...

Crucial first round talks between the government and transporters to end the four-day long strike failed on Thursday with both parties sticking to their stands. The nationwide indefinite strike by truckers demanding stable fuel prices and fewer levies began on April 14.

Secretary-general of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) J.M. Saksena told The Indian Express, “the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways B.C. Khanduri only provided assurances that he would take up their demands with other relevant ministries.” Saksena said that the minister has assured us to arrange second round of talks with petroleum, finance and law ministries along with various state governments.” He is also trying to take up the issue to the PM and deputy PM.

However, sources say, the next round of talks is not expected to take place before early next week due to a long weekend. An official of Mahindra & Mahindra said that “we have already started despatching Scorpio by roads instead of loading them on trucks and our raw material supply has been badly hit.” The cement industry is also reeling under the strike effect. According to ACC president (marketing) A.K. Jain, the effect has been more on the southern states.

In the South, with zero despatches, silos kept for storing cement are fast filling up and firms like Madras Cements and India Cements are just producing clinker. Commenting on the impact on movement of pharmaceutical products, All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists general secretary J.S. Shinde said, “Deliveries for orders placed for April have not been executed. So, if the strike is on for another week, chemist shops might see scarcity of pharma products.