Truckers On Indefinite Strike Against e-Challans In Maharashtra; Supply Of Essentials Not Affected
Despite an appeal by State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and issuing of three circulars promising relief, the truckers vowed to continue their stir.
Truckers in Maharashtra resorted to an indefinite strike on Wednesday to protest against the e-challan system for recovering fines and demanded swift resolution of long-pending issues, transporters' representatives said.
They claimed goods transport services were disrupted across the state. Authorities stated that the transportation of essential items, including milk, fruits, and vegetables, was not affected.
Despite an appeal by State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and issuing of three circulars promising relief, the truckers vowed to continue their stir.
At a meeting held in the legislature committee room, Sarnaik appealed to transporters to withdraw the strike. He said a committee had been constituted and the government will look into issues such as parking and action by enforcement authorities positively.
Later in the day, the transport commissioner's office issued three circulars regarding the parking of buses and promised not to take action on school buses. The third circular was related to the speed-limiting device (SLD) issue, however, the truckers refused to budge.
Uday Barge, convener of the action committee, stated that the strike would continue as the main demand to regulate bulk e-challans remains pending.
The strike, called by the Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Sanghatana, has received a mixed response on the first day with majority of trucks plying on the roads. In places like Nhava Sheva and Pune, most goods vehicles remained off the roads.
Bus operators have deferred their participation for the next few days.
The transporters' demands include stopping the forceful recovery of e-challan fines, cancellation of e-challans older than six months, waiving existing penalties, scrapping the mandatory cleaner rule for heavy vehicles, and reconsidering no-entry timings in metro cities.
They claimed the recovery process by the authorities has become aggressive and is disrupting business operations.
Barge said 1.5 lakh and 2 lakh trucks and other goods-carrying vehicles in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra would go off the roads.
He claimed all trucks were off the roads in Mumbai's business hub Kalbadevi, while in other areas, members of transport associations were using 'Gandhigiri' to persuade transporters to join the strike.
Baba Shinde, a leader of transporters from Pune, said some local bus operators will join the strike on Thursday.
The state government has formed a 10-member committee comprising senior officers from the Mumbai traffic police, highway police and motor vehicles department, along with leaders of transport associations.
The committee will submit its report within a month, according to a Government Resolution (GR) issued late Tuesday night.
The transporters had called off the protest on June 24 after Industries Minister Uday Samant assured them a meeting would be convened to resolve their issues.
