UP transporters to shut business from July 2 over price hike

Kanpur, June 9 (UNI) Assailing the UPA government for the hike in fuel prices, the Uttar Pradesh motor transporters association president Shyam Gupta today warned of shutting down the business, if the government failed to provied any relief to them by the end of this month.

Mr Gupta here said besides hiking deisel prices, the Central government was also increasing other payable taxes, and with this ongoing trend the motor transporters association has decided to close down the business from July 2.

He said the government, which had been taking service tax, toll tax and several other taxes has forced the transporters to do so.

Narrating the alleged ''atrocities'' by the government in the form of taxes, Mr Gupta said, earlier in 2002, the government had suspended service tax, however, re-implemented it with an increased interest rate.

There are 2,000 transport companies in Kanpur alone and over 40,000 trucks regularly plying between and various parts of the country.

Mr Gupta said the National Transport Worker's Federation on has already submitted a charter of demand to the Central government, in which they had sought some relief in order to continue their business.

As the finance companies are providing loans easily to the people, the business is undergoing stiff competition, he asserted.

Expressing grief, he said there were several issues at local level, which could be solved with interferance of the state government alone, but everyone turned a blind eye to our problems.

The transporters in UP were the biggest sufferers due to the government's negligence and the government agencies were the main hurdle in solving our problems, Mr Gupta added.

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