The Hindu : Kerala News : Collectors told to confiscate goods carriers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
ePaper

Kerala

Kerala

Collectors told to confiscate goods carriers

Kerala Bureau

Photo: S.Mahinsha

At a standstill: Trucks parked near the normally busy Chalai market in Thiruvananthapuram as the strike by truck operators and lorry owners entered the third day on Sunday. -

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran said here on Sunday that the government had directed District Collectors to confiscate the lorries on strike, to transport essential commodities, if needed. “Orders giving special powers to the District Collectors for such steps have already been issued,” he said.

The Minister said there had been no reports of shortage of essential commodities from anywhere in the State.

Ernakulam District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said a list of lorries to be seized and put into operation if the strike prolonged had been readied. Steps would be taken to ensure that supply of essential commodities was not affected.

Mr. Divakaran said lorry owners from other States as well as the workers had not joined the strike. This made it easy for the government to handle the situation, he said.

Fund payment

Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan said the Labour Department had made arrangements to enable the lorry owners to remit their contribution to the welfare fund easily across the State.

Additional Labour Commissioner Prakash S. Oliver said the department had directed all the 101 Assistant Labour Officers across the State to collect the contributions for the next couple of days. One of the major demands of the lorry owners was augmenting facilities for remitting their contributions to the welfare fund.

Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas rebutted claims made by some representatives of the striking owners’ organisations that the then Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, in August 2005, promised to fix the monthly welfare contribution at Rs. 200 for every lorry.

“Three months later, the UDF [United Democratic Front] government fixed the rate at Rs. 400, through a notification. Owners’ representatives had agreed to the rate then. It must be remembered that they will have to contribute a higher amount towards the Employees’ Provident Fund, if they do not pay Rs. 400 towards the welfare fund,” he said.

KPCC chief’s plea

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala demanded that the government to take steps to end the strike, as, he said, the prices of various items had gone up because of the inept handling of the situation by the government.

The Private Motor Thozhilali Union (motor workers’ union), affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress, demanded that the government take steps to seize the striking lorries, since the agitation was aimed at thwarting the welfare measures which would ultimately benefit workers’ families.

The union said the workers would run the lorries if the government handed them over. The strike had to be curbed with an iron hand, said Joy Joseph, secretary of the union.

Traders’ stand

Kerala Samsthana Vyapari Vyavasayi Samithi president Binni Emmatty said the lorry strike had not led to an increase in prices of essential commodities in the last three days as they were all holidays. The situation might worsen in the coming days if the strike prolonged. He urged the government to take steps to end the strike at the earliest.

Container lorries

In Kochi, A. Jayaprakash, secretary of the Kerala State Lorry Owners’ Federation, said container lorries too might join the agitation by Wednesday. Though not all lorries that transport LPG cylinders are participating in the strike, some dealers in Kochi have begun citing the strike as the reason for delay in supplying cylinders.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala