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Strike Millions of truckers went on an all-India strike early Wednesday, barring fuel and other essential commodities, parking up their vehicles to protest high taxes and rising fuel bills. The strike is called by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), which claims the support of all state transporters’ association with a combined fleet size of 48,00,000 trucks. Talks to end the strike had collapsed after Highways and Road Transport Minister T R Baalu said it was not possible to roll back a hike in toll tax.

Grievances The transporters feel that they have been at the receiving end of various Central governments over the years. They are not happy with the “Frequent hikes in diesel prices”. Except it they are opposing the Canter’s toll tax policy and the decision to bring them under the service tax net”. It is also being said that oil firms were forcing the truckers to buy costlier branded diesel but the Indian Oil Corp - country’s largest transport fuel retailer - has maintained that the cheaper fuel was freely available. The price difference between branded and normal diesel has gone up from 50 paisa per litter to Rs.2.25 a litter.They had alleged that the government was getting huge benefits on the basis of international crisis on crude oil prices and on the other hand truckers were being forced to buy premium diesel at higher and unregulated prices.

Effects Truckers are the lifeline of the Indian economy. If they go on an indefinite strike then its consequences can be worst beyond one’s expectations. If their indefinite strike turns into a lengthy strike then it would threaten not only goods supplies but also industrial output. Diesel sales could drop sharply. Public is Already reeling under inflation and it could further trouble the people in form of shortage of food items and essential commodities and increased prices. Truckers’ contribution in the Indian economy can not be expressed in figures but they and their demands have always been ignored by the government of India that has ultimately left them with no other option but to go on an indefinite strike. The AIMTC had written several times about their various problems to the related ministries and departments, but no one responded. This is the newest problem, the central government is facing, and if it goes on for a long time unaddressed then government will have to face the fury of the public that is already not happy with the economic planning of the ‘eminent economists’.