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Delhi HC issues notices to govt, transporters; strike enters Day Seven

The Delhi High Court today issued show-cause notices to the Centre, Delhi government, the All-India Motor Transport Congress and two other transport associations on a petition seeking declaration of the transporters' strike as "illegal and unconstitutional" and invoking the Essential Services and Maintenance Act.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice S N Variava and Justice S K Mahajan directed the respondents to reply to the notices by November 3, the next date of hearing on the public interest petition filed by advocate Arun Kaushal and others.

The petition also urged the court to direct the central and Delhi governments to take action and resolve the dispute leading to the strike as it had resulted in skyrocketing of the prices of essential commodities like vegetables.

The petition said the people were facing great hardship due to the strike which was in its seventh day today. Counsel for petitioner Mohammed Sajid urged the court to direct the government to control the rising prices of essential items immediately.

Further, he sought action against illegal stockists and black marketeers, who were hoarding items of daily use with ulterior motives to mint huge profits.

The petition also named the Delhi Motor Transport Association and the Delhi Mini Truck Operators Association as respondents. The two bodies were also directed to reply to the notices.

It accused various truck operators' associations and the governments of violating the provisions of Article 21 of the Constitution.

"The governments should evolve rules and regulations and lay down laws declaring any strike by transporters and truck operators as illegal and unconstitutional," the petition said.

On October 21, truckers stopped operations across the country, protesting against the government's decision to hike diesel prices.

The petition said the state and Union governments were suffering huge losses of revenue by way of sales tax, income tax and excise tax due to non-transportation of goods. It also asked if the court was empowered to declare the strike as illegal and unconstitutional.

Govt-Transporters' Congress talks planned

Meanwhile, the nationwide truckers strike continued for the seventh day today even as the government and the AIMTC said they would hold talks to resolve the issue.

AIMTC secretary general J M Saksena said in a statement that all its 32 state federations and 1,284 associations were giving full support and there was no division.

Denying reports that the strike had been called off in Orissa, North Bengal and parts of Kerala, he said the Orissa unit and the East Zone Coordination Committee of Truckers was headed by AIMTC president O P Aggarwal, and the strike there was total.

However, six districts of North Bengal were exmpted from the purview of the strike in view of the relief measures being carried out for the flood-hit people.

The AIMTC press note, however, did not refer to the demand for a rollback of the diesel price hike.

UNI

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