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Transporters deny rift, continue strike

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Bombay

Transporters in Maharashtra today denied that their six-day-old strike had lost momentum and was withering away.

In a press statement, the Bombay Goods Transport Association said, "The reports of the truckers withdrawing from the strike are totally unfounded, baseless and incorrect. The truckers and all associations have remained united and the strike is still on and complete throughout the country.

The association issued the statement after a TV news bulletin said the All-India Truck Transport Federation was withdrawing from the strike.

"The strike is total all over the country and has not been withdrawn. We do not wish to hold the public to ransom by prolonging the strike any more, which can cause only more financial harm to the country. The continuation of the strike can only be attributed to the government for refusing to heed the just and legitimate demands of the transporters," said RK Jain, president of the BGTA.

According to the BGTA, the government was keen to increase the price of diesel whenever there is a spurt in the international price of petroleum, but it has taken no action to replenish the oil pool depleted by the transfer of Rs 89 billion to the revenue account a few years ago.

"The conception and operation of the oil pool account is not transparent. The government is hiding vital facts wherein substantial amounts have been transferred from this pool to other heads, thereby causing a deficit and justifying the increase in the diesel price," said Paramjit Singh Bajaj, general secretary, BGTA.

"Internationally when the price of diesel was reduced by Rs 4 per litre, the government reduced the price of diesel by Re 1. And after one month they again increased the price stating that they needed the money to build superhighways. But no such highways have come in existence so far," he rued.

"The politicians are more bothered about Bofors. Nobody wants to discuss the problems of common man," he complained.

Meanwhile, Bombayites are facing another problem, this time from taxi operators. They have gone on strike in protest against a crackdown by the Maharashtra transport commissioner against polluting taxis.

In a statement to the press, the taximen's union said the crackdown was discriminatory since it is targeted at only taxi operators.

A union spokesman said the strike would continue until Chief Minister Vilas Deshmukh, who had gone to Delhi, returns to Bombay and negotiates with them.

The transport and taxi strike in tandem resulted in an increase in prices in essential commodities and caused problems to the common man.

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