Tanker lorries will be impounded if strike continues:Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (UNI) Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today warned that the government would take stern action, including impounding tanker lorries if the owners continued their ongoing strike.

Talking to mediapersons after a review meeting with Ministers and officials to tackle the tanker lorry strike, he said the government would take all legal steps to tackle the strike.

Mr Balakrishnan said the state had stored petroleum products for two more days and if the strike continued, the government would take all steps to ensure the availability of petroleum products by impounding the tanker lorries.

The meeting also decided to set up a monitoring committee under the Transport Minister and Transport Commissioner, he informed.

As the strike continued for the second day today, the movement of petroleum products came to a standstill resulting in drying out of petrol and diesel in some of the retail outlets.

The indefinite strike was called by the All Kerala Lorry Owners Association (AKLOA) in protest against the directive making speed governors mandatory for heavy vehicles.

However, the bus operators stayed away from the strike this time in view of the assurance given by Transport Minister to expedite the Ordinance to overcome the Supreme Court directive on speed governors.

The Kerala Government had already decided to promulgate an ordinance to overcome the Apex court directive on speed governors.

State Civil Supplies Minister C Divakaran and Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas participated in the meeting.

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