Govt calls ACOGOA to abort truckers' strike

New Delhi, Jan 10: The Central Government on Saturday, Jan 9 called upon the striking truckers' rival union to put an end to the ongoing truck strike even after states invoking Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to arrest those disrupting goods movement.

Government on Friday, Jan 9 said that it would aid 15-20 lakh trucks and permit private vehicles to carry goods without permit. Regarding this, the Government called a meeting with the representatives of All India Confederation of Goods Vehicles Owners' Associations (ACOGOA), which claims command over 40 lakh trucks across the country.

All India Motor Transport Congress members have been on strike since Sunday, Jan 4 midnight demanding lower diesel prices, duty-free import of tyres and exemption from service tax, among others and ACOGOA is the rival union of the striking truckers' union.

The strike has resulted in surge of essential commodities. Almost all States have invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

Emerging from the meeting, ACOGOA Vice-President Chittranjan Dass said: "We are not participating in the truckers strike."

Asked what was the meeting about, he said: "We discussed our own issues... we requested the government to abolish the import duty on radial tyres."

"They (govt) have assured us of a reduction in diesel prices," he said, but did not divulge the specifics of the expected price cuts.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)