Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 23: All J&K Transporters’ Welfare Assoc-iation has decided to observe one-day token strike on Sept 30, 2013 to register their protest against the failure of the State Government to take cognizance of their demands despite repeated requests.
This was decided in a meeting of the transporters held under the aegis of JKTWA, Jammu Province, with the consultation of the transporters of Kashmir province, held here today. The representatives of all the Passenger Transport Associations took part in the meeting.
The speakers said that they were already not in a position to ply their vehicles as usual due to militancy from last 20 years and on the top of that soaring prices of diesel, implementation of 13.5% VAT, 12.5% service tax on insurance, 13.55 entry tax at Lakhanpur and implementation of Passenger Welfare Fund and enhancement in the rate of 3rd Party insurance by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) has further aggravated their sufferings.
Expressing serious concern over the steep hike in the prices of petroleum products including petrol and diesel for last six to seven months, the speakers said that the plying of vehicles has become highly uneconomical and increase in passenger fare has become inevitable.
The Association threatened to go on indefinite strike if their demands were not addressed within a week after the token strike of Sept 30.
Their demands included hike of 40% in passenger fare and freight and grant of power of increasing and decreasing the passenger fare to the Transport Commissioner, so that he can increase and decrease the same in accordance with the hike in prices of diesel and petrol.
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