The State government has constituted a Group of Ministers to look into the grievances of the AP Lorry Owners association, AP Federation of Petroleum Traders and AP Petroleum Tank Truck Operators Association.
The GoM will be headed by Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinna Rajappa and consist of Ministers Y. Ramakrishnudu (Finance), Sidda Raghava Rao (Transport and Roads & Buildings) and K. Atchannaidu (Labour). The Special Chief Secretary to Government (CT, Excise, Registration & Stamps) will be the convenor of the GoM.
The constitution of the GoM comes in the light of the assurance given to the fuel station dealers and truck owners that the government would constitute a high-power committee to resolve their demands.
three associations which formed into a joint action committee had threatened to go on an indefinite strike from June 23, but deferred their plan till July 9 after the government assured to resolve their grievances.
The JAC has been demanding that the government withdraw the four per cent VAT on diesel and petrol being levied since February 6 this year. The other demands of the committee included issuance of immediate bails at police stations to truck drivers, whose vehicles were involved in accidents, withdrawal of form A and form B and scrap the trucks’ black list till date.
