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Truckers demand further cut in diesel prices

Chandigarh: Truckers across the country on Sunday threatened to go on an indefinite strike from December 20 while demanding further cut in diesel prices beyond a Rs.2 per litre reduction announced by the government.

Dissatisfied over the last week’s cut, the apex truckers union All India Motor Transport Congress on Sunday said it was “miniscule” and the cut should have been of at least Rs.10 in the backdrop of a huge decline in crude prices.

The Centre had announced the reduction in diesel prices on Friday on account of falling global crude oil prices.

“Definitely, the freight rates on an average will come down by 2 to 3 per cent, with the diesel prices falling by Rs. 2 per litre announced by the government,” All India Motor Transport Congress President Charan Singh Lohara said.

“When the global crude oil prices have reached the level of prices prevailed in year 2004, then why is the Centre shying away from restoring the diesel prices of that year,” he questioned.

The CPI on Sunday described the “meagre” reduction of petrol and diesel prices as a “cruel joke” with the people. CPI National Executive member Joginder Dayal and party State Executive member Gurnam Kanwar said in a joint statement that the reduction of price of petrol by Rs. 5 and diesel by Rs. 2 is a “half-hearted step”.

The measure should have been taken much earlier and slashing down of prices should have been proportionate to the fall in the international prices of crude oil, they said.

They also accused the Centre of surrendering to “big oil companies and corporate houses”.

The CPI leaders demanded special reduction in diesel prices for Punjab where the economy is agriculture-driven. They noted that modern farming is dependent on diesel. --PTI

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