Truckers under pressure

8220;Though we are under pressure from a section of truck contractors to paralyse supply of essential commodities, we won8217;t do it because it would tantamount to losing public sympathy,8221; Ahmedabad Motor Transport Association president Hiralal Gupta said, adding, 8220;We have assured State Transport Minister Bimal Shah that supply of essential commodities will be allowed during the strike and we stick to our stand.8221;

However, Akhil Gujarat Truck Transport Association president Nandlal Thaper denied he was under pressure from truck contractors to stop movement of trucks supplying essential commodities. 8220;In any case we will continue to allow movement of trucks supplying essential commodities because we do not want to create any hardship for the public,8221; he said.

Meanwhile, talking to Express Newsline, Transport Secretary Jasvindar Singh Rana said instructions had been issued to all RTO officials not to go for checking of trucks anywhere in the State, until the strike was called off.

He, however, said barring multi-axle tankers which were supplying oil from the refineries in Kandla to areas outside the State, supply of industrial good continued to remain affected throughout the State.8220;But the supply of essential commodities like diesel, petrol, rice, wheat, medicines, kerosene and LPG etc was going on smoothly like the preceding three days,8221; Rana said. He said supply of lignite from Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation besides tiles from the industry in Morbi continued to remain affected. Thaper claimed the strike was complete on Sunday as all the 1.5 lakh trucks in the State stayed off the roads.

Highly placed Government sources said truckers8217; representatives had on Saturday assured that following acceptance of their local demands pertaining to harrassment by the police and RTO officials, they representatives would encourage drivers to operate on Sunday night. 8220;Whether operations took place on Sunday night would be known only on Monday morning,8221; the sources said.

Strongly denying any such assurance had been given to the Government on Saturday, Thaper said truckers in Gujarat would continue to support the nation-wide strike until the Centre withdrew the hike in diesel prices.

According to a report from Vadodara, the Baroda Road Transport Association BRTA has claimed the truckers8217; strike in the city was total and would continue till the Government found an answer to their demands.

8220;Around 6,000 trucks are off the roads at various places in the city,8221; BRTA president Surendra Yadav and secretary P M Vaghela said. 8220;But our strike has been peaceful and will remain peaceful. We will not stop any truck operator forcibly. We want voluntary participation because everyone is affected by the price rise in diesel.8221;

Meanwhile, State BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya, in a release on Sunday, urged the truckers to withdraw their strike. 8220;The Government at the Centre had no option but to hike oil prices because it was necessary to meet the oil-pool deficit,8221; he said.

Retail market reels
The full impact of short supply of perishable items in the wholesale markets is beginning to be felt in the city8217;s retail fruit and vegetable markets only now. Contrary to the first three days of the strike when there was sporadic increase in prices of perishable commodities in the retail market, prices of vegetables and fruits shot up in almost all retail markets throughout the city on Sunday. Prices of fruits went up by 10 per cent in the Navrangpura retail fruit market.

While the price of apples shot up from Rs 40 per kg on Saturday to Rs 50 per kg on Sunday, chiku prices soared from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 40 per kg. Orange prices also recorded an increase from Rs 30 per dozen to Rs 40 per dozen, while the price of sweet lemon went up from Rs 20 per dozen to Rs 30 per dozen.

Similarly, the price of pomegranate also went up from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 30 per kg. Pineapple prices too soared from Rs 20 per pineapple to Rs 25.

A similar trend was witnessed at the semi-wholesale fruit market of the Municipal Corporation. While pineapple prices shot up from Rs 15 per pineapple to Rs 25 per pineapple, the price of chiku went up from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 30 per kg. Similarly, prices of fruits like apple, pomegranate, sweet lemon, orange have also gone up by Rs 5. Prices of vegetables at Rajnagar retail market also recorded an increase.

While the price of tomatoes went up substantially from Rs 6 per kg to Rs 16 per kg, the price of capcicum also shot up from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 60 per kg. Potato and onion prices too increased by Rs 2 per kg. The price of ginger shot up from Rs 500 per 20 kg to Rs 800 per 20 kg, while the price of coriander also went up from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 50 per kg.