With just a few days to go for Deepavali, truckers went on a two-day token strike from Monday affecting the transportation of goods across the State. Nearly three lakh of the 4.5 lakh trucks operated in Tamil Nadu stayed off the roads, according to lorry operators.
Several lorry operators associations took part in the nationwide strike called by the All India Motor Transport Congress to oppose the Goods and Service Tax, escalating fuel price and exorbitant toll charges. P.V. Subramani, Vice President (South Zone) said, “Cargo movement across the State has been affected. Lorries transporting essential commodities are not part of this token strike. We plan to go on an indefinite strike if the Union Ministry of Surface Transport does not hold talks with us.”
Arrivals to Koyambedu wholesale market, Chennai, were not affected as lorries brought in daily supply.
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While it did not have much impact in Thanjavur district, movement of food grains was affected in districts such as Tiruchi and Tiruvarur. R.K. Prabhakar, secretary, Tiruchi District Lorry Owners Association, said 3,500 vehicles will not ply in Tiruchi district as the strike would continue till Tuesday evening.
Industries with own vehicles in Coimbatore district continued operations on Monday.
However, exporters with delivery schedules would be affected and would have to make alternative arrangements to move the goods to the ports, said industry owners.
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The ongoing strike, including in Tirupur and Nilgiris districts, would lead to a revenue loss of ₹100 crore a day for the lorry owners, said S. Kaliaperumal, president of Coimbatore Lorry Owners’ Association.
More than 10,000 workers engaged in transport business were affected in Dindigul district, said A. Ellappan of the District Truck and Lorry Owners Association.
Transportation of eggs too were affected on Monday as a majority of the lorries in Namakkal district kept off the roads.
Sand lorries too participated in the strike demanding that the Centre must bring diesel under the purview of the GST.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu has extended its support for the strike.
(Reporting by M. Soundariya Preetha from Coimbatore, S. Ganesan from Tiruchi, L. Renganathan from Thanjavur, Syed Muthahar Saqaf from Salem, K. Lakshmi from Chennai and S. Sundar from Madurai)