AP lorry owners strike on May 5

Vijayawada, Apr 22 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Lorry Owners' Association (APLOA) today announced that it will observe a one-day token strike on May five in protest against the Orissa government collecting mechanical tax from the vehicles registered in other states.

Talking to UNI here APLOA General Secretary M V Subba Rao alleged that the government is collecting the tax of Rs 2,200 for the vehicles entering Orissa.

Normally such tax was levied for any infringement of the provision of M V Act, he said and added it only indicated the pre-mediated decision of the Orissa government.

Mr Rao said APLOA has taken the stand to oppose the tax and to fight for its withdrawal, following a discussion with the All India Motor Transport Congress (AITMC) president Gurinder Pal Singh and its chairman O P Agarwal, who was in the city yesterday.

He said the AIMTC had extended its support to APLOA on the issue.

The AIMTC will meet at Ludhiana on May 15 to take a decision for an indefinite boycott of Orissa by the truckers from all over the country, he added.

He urged the Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik to declare scrapping of tax.

UNI CS PK HT2318