J&K oil tank drivers’ union seeks financial package, tax exemption from Centre

The oil and LPG truckers claimed that the transport sector has come to a halt as the nationwide lockdown has dealt a severe setback to this business operations.

The oil and LPG tank truck drivers and cleaners union here on Wednesday urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Lt Governor G C Murmu to roll out financial package to provide partial loan waiver to them, to mitigate their financial losses caused due to Covid-19 lockdown.

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Union president S Ranjit Singh Raina asked the central government to consider a financial package for the transport sector as it was already facing huge financial burden.

“The transport sector has come to a halt due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown, which has dealt a severe setback to this sector. If the government does not come to our aid, hundreds of people associated with this sector may lose their jobs,” he said in a statement issued here.

The truckers’ body spokesperson, S Harasis Singh, said that over 85 to 90 percent commercial transport vehicles in J&K were purchased on loans from the government, private banks and private finance companies.

“During this lockdown period, tanks, trucks, road rollers, cranes, minibuses, buses, taxis, three-wheelers (passengers/load carriers) and even e-rickshaws are not plying on the roads. Therefore, we request the government to give us a financial package, including exemption from income tax, road tax, toll tax and partial loan waiver for the purchased vehicles,” he said.