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Our Correspondent

Madurai , Aug. 25

TRADE and industry bodies have expressed concern over the indefinite strike by the truck operators over the service tax and appealed to the Central and State Governments to settle the issues amicably in the larger interest of the economy.

The Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants Association while expressing its solidarity with the cause of the truck operators on the ground that the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices along with the competition from the railways have affected the transport operators, has pointed out that an indefinite extension of the strike would cripple the economy with scarcity and the common man would be put to severe hardships with spiralling prices of commodities.

The Tamilnadu Chamber of Industries and Commerce has observed that if the strike got prolonged, thousands of people would be rendered jobless in the small-scale industries raw material for various industries have to come from the North, it has pointed out.

Mr C. Sathiah, President of the Madurai Lorry Owners Association, has denied the contention of the Union Government that the service tax imposed would attract only the goods transport agencies and observed that in the southern districts, the owners were also the transport agents. The association would meet soon to consider joining the strike, he has said.

Already, out of 1,500 lorries in the district, 500 inter-state lorries are off the road and if the remaining vehicles are stopped, the labourers will starve and normal life would be badly affected, he added.

More Stories on : Roadways | Trade & Labour Unions

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