Even as the nation-wide strike by lorry owners entered the fourth day on Sunday, affecting business activities hard, a ray of hope appears on the horizon for an early resolution to the crisis.
The Union Government has invited leaders of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the apex transport body which had given the strike call, for negotiations in New Delhi on Monday evening.
K. Nallathambi, president, State Lorry Owners' Federation - Tamil Nadu, and a senior member of the AIMTC confirmed that the Union Ministry has invited the AIMTC office-bearers for negotiations.
“Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Surface Transport, has invited us for another round of talks for solving this issue. Our leaders will participate in the talks,” Mr. Nallathmabi told The Hindu over phone from Namakkal.
On Sunday morning, the members of the State Lorry Owners' Federation, led by Mr. Nallathambi, staged a demonstration near the toll plaza at Keerambur on the Namakkal-Karur national highway in support of their demands. They raised slogans demanding that toll collection be done only annually. They also distributed pamphlets containing their demands to the public.
Meanwhile, LPG tankers are expected to join the strike if it prolonged. N. R. Karthik, secretary, Southern Region Bulk LPG Transport Owners Association, said that his association fully supported the demands of the AIMTC. As LPG happens to be an essential commodity, the association, which accounted for more than 1,200 members, could not participate in the strike all of a sudden. “We are closely following the situation and if the strike prolongs, we will be forced to join it,” Mr. Karthik said.
Fall in arrival of veggies
Arrival of vegetables to the uzhavar sandhai in both the districts is partially hit. There is a fall in the arrival of English vegetables in uzhavar sandhai and other markets. These markets used to receive potato and carrots from Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district and turmeric, beans and cabbage from Bengaluru by lorry every day. Due to the strike, limited stock is being received by regular bus services from these centres, uzhavar sandhai sources said.
Meanwhile, a load of about 2,400 tonnes of cement arrived in 42 railway wagons at the Market Goods Shed at Shevvapet in Salem city on Saturday night. The stock could not be unloaded and transported to respective destinations due to the lorry strike.
Already, two rakes with foodgrains and cement stock are waiting for unloading at Market Good Shed.
The movement of eggs to noon meal centres across the State and Kerala and Karnakata is unaffected, said R. Nallathambi, president, Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association.
He said P. Thangamani, Minister for Industries, hailing from Namakkal district, spoke to the office-bearers of the association enquiring about the transportation of eggs. He also made enquiries on the need of any help from the government side, Mr. Nallathambi said.
