The Lorry Owners’ Federations of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have announced an indefinite strike from October 5, if Karnataka government fails to compensate for the lorries gutted in the recent violence over the Cauvery river water sharing.
This will freeze the intra-State movement of over 4.50 lakh lorries of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and over 40,000 lorries of other States that will have to pass via the two States, the federations have warned.
In an urgently convened meeting, the lorry owners’ federations of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu met here in Hosur and issued an ultimatum to Karnataka government. The federations urged the two State governments to hold ministerial-level talks to break the impasse.
Speaking later on the sidelines of the meeting, G.R. Shanmugappa, president, The Bangalore Motor Owner’s Consumer’s Co-operative Society Limited, and Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, said in the past three weeks the cumulative loss in business for the two State governments and the centre was to the tune of Rs. 50,000 crore. For the lorry owners, the loss was pegged at Rs. 5,000 crore, he said.
About 15,000 lorries from Tamil Nadu pass via Karnataka to Maharashtra and Gujarat, and over 4,000 lorries from Karnataka that pass via Kerala and Puducherry.
Asked if the lorry owners federation of Karnataka had reached out to their government and the police, Mr. Shanmugappa said the Karnataka Federation had met the Director General of Police and the Transport Minister of Karnataka to provide the necessary security for Tamil Nadu vehicles. He dismissed allegations that the Karnataka State lorry owners had remained silent over the attacks on Tamil Nadu State lorries. “No lorry owner will remain silent on attacks on lorries of any State.” However, the State government should compensate for 46 lorries and 35 buses that were gutted in the violence in the State, Mr. Shanmugappa said.
The federations of the two States have asked for exemptions at the toll way for a month, and tax rebate to make good the loss.
The meeting saw representatives of lorry owners federations from Kerala and Puducherry joining hands.
