Nation-wide truckers' strike enters second day

New Delhi, Jul 3: The nationwide indefinite truckers strike seeking lower sales tax entered its second day on Thursday, July 3. The strike has been effective in Gujarat, Punjab, Uttaranchal and in different state of south India, barring Kerala, where truck associations haven't joined in. Truck associations in Gujarat are taking Rs 11,000 each from trucks that have not joined the strike.

The representatives of the striking truckers have said that the nation-wide truckers strike will continue. They said that they had two rounds of talks with the government officials but no breakthrough was achieved. Meanwhile, Government is considering granting relief to transporters on service tax.

Member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs V Sridhar said that the demand of the goods transport agencies is under consideration. He said the truck owners, who provide trucks to Goods Transport Agencies (GTAs) on rent, have already been fully exempted from payment of service tax.

The demands of the truckers' body include the abolition of toll tax and service tax, besides rationalization of duties on diesel.

They also demanded that toll taxes on old highways, where recoveries have already been made, should be removed.

The roads constructed under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model, where the private parties have already made recoveries, toll taxes should also be withdrawn.

AIMTC also demanded the removal of speed governors at highways, which set speed limit at 60 km considering the government, was going ahead with construction of expressways.

ANI