Centre requests truckers to postpone strike as Union minister Nitin Gadkari unavailable; transporters oblige

Kolkata/New Delhi: Truckers on Friday “temporarily postponed” their ongoing indefinite nationwide strike following a request from the Central government as Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was out of station. The strike, that began from 18 June, had been called against the high diesel prices, high toll rates and a sharp hike of third party insurance premium, and had entered the fifth day on Friday. [caption id=“attachment_4445615” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representative image. Reuters[/caption] In a media release, All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners’ Association — which had called the strike — said the decision was taken following a telephone call from the Centre, which asked the strikers to come for discussion after 27 June. “We have received telephone call from (the) Central ministry, that since the Minister is not in station till 27 June, (they have requested us) to call off the strike and come for discussion after 27 June,” said AICOGOA General Secretary Rajendra Singh and President B Channa Reddy. “In view of this and in public interest, we have (decided to) postpone the truckers’ strike,” they said. The AICOGOA said the call for talks was received from Gadkari’s office. “We received call from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office and they have called us to talk… We have temporarily called off the strike because it was affecting truckers and people both,” another AICOGOA General Secretary Kausar Hussain told IANS. Over 50 lakh vehicles remained off the road during the strike.