By IANS,
New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday sought a day’s time to reply to the demands of truck operators who have threatened an indefinite strike from April 5 to protest the recent hike in fuel prices.
“The minister will give a written reply to our demands at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). He wants to discuss our issues with other related ministries,” said G.R. Shanmugappa, president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), here.
He said during the one-and-half hours of discussions with the minister, all issues affecting the industry were brought up.
“We are waiting for the minister’s reply. Then we will decide our course of action,” Shanmugappa told IANS.
Shanmugappa reiterated that if the government refused to roll back the diesel price hike and address other problem, 70 lakh trucks plying across the country would go off the roads from April 5.
He warned that all the 150,000 lorry booking offices across the country would be closed.
The strike would cause the exchequer revenue losses to the tune of Rs.5,000 crore every day, he stressed.
The truckers have set April 4 as the deadline for the government to accede to their demands.