Karnataka: No diesel, petrol supply from today, say truckers

Bengaluru:  An indefinite strike by truck owners is expected to disrupt normal life with truck drivers announcing that they will stop supplying petrol and diesel across South India from Tuesday, till their demands are met.

South India Motor Transport Association general secretary G.R. Shanmugappa, who attended a meeting convened by the Union Road Transport Ministry between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority officials and agitating truck owners in Hyderabad to sort out the differences, said the meeting was a failure.

“No decision was taken at the meeting. We have decided to stop even the supply of petrol and diesel from Tuesday. The strike is on only in South India now, but we have decided to hold at all-India level," he said.

The city is already feeling the heat of the strike, which entered the fifth day on Monday. Officials in the state transport department said that the movement of trucks has completely stopped across the state.

A vegetable vendor in K.R. Market, Hanumesh Gudi, said, “Vegetable supply has come down by around 70%, while rates of all the vegetables have crossed Rs 50. Local farmers are supplying through small goods vehicles.”

Realty sector hit
City real estate developers said that the construction work has stopped across the city. “Only a few manufactured sand (M-sand) suppliers are active. But big developers want sand, but there has been no supply. All the labourers are now jobless,” said Mr Shrikumar Shetty, a developer.

LPG supply affected
The supply of LPG has come down by half. A Bharat Gas agency franchisee owner said that only those agency owners who have their own truck are supplying cylinders, while those who depend on rented trucks are facing problems.

State has resolved part of truckers’ problems: Reddy
The state government has resolved some of the demands of truck drivers, and has appealed to them to withdraw their strike. But most of the truckers’ demands have to be met by the Union government, said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday.

Mr Reddy said that he held meetings with state transport associations and resolved problems with them. “There were one or two minor demands, which could be resolved by the state government. After the meeting, we requested the transporters to withdraw their strike. However, on Monday afternoon, there was a meeting in Hyderabad, where transporters would decide their next course,” he said.