Food, commodities supplies to be impacted as truck owners, operators call for 36 hours strike against disruptive GST policies

The truck owners and operators called for a 36 hours long strike, started off on Monday against the disruptive policies under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

The countrywide protests have been organised by truckers' association All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

"Transporters have decided to protest against the callous and indifferent attitude of government officials, GST, diesel price hike and corruption on roads by observing a token 'chakka jam' (strike) on October 9 and 10," AIMTC president SK Mittal said.

Supplies of commodities including food are likely to be affected due to the token strike.

Another transporters body - the All India Transporters Welfare Association or AITWA - said that it will support AIMTC's nationwide strike claiming that the government has failed to give any clarification on national sales tax GST to transporters.

"The strike call is given by All India Motor Transport Congress and we are supporting them," AITWA president Pradeep Singhal said, adding that "They (government officials) do not want us to understand the GST, they do not want to explain the GST to us, they do not want to give any clarification... and they are making it extremely complicated," he alleged.

Another reason for the strike is the spiralling price for diesel. Stating that the exorbitant rise in diesel prices and daily changes in fuel rates have adversely affected the sector, AIMTC said that the government should revise the prices of diesel on quarterly basis instead of a daily basis.