Truckers to go on strike from July 2

Truckers say they would go ahead with their indefinite strike from July 2 till the government agrees to scrap toll tax on operators.

Truckers on Saturday said they would go ahead with their indefinite strike from July 2 till the government agrees to scrap toll tax on operators and exempts booking agents from service tax payment, among other demands.

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"We submitted our memorandum to the government a month earlier but there is no response from them regarding our demands, so we have decided to go ahead with our nation-wide strike from July 2," All India Motor Transport Congress President Charan Singh Lohara told reporters in New Delhi.

However, the Finance Ministry had on June 26 exempted truck operators from payment of 12.5 per cent service tax on the supply of goods carriage to goods transport agencies.

Lohara said the government should abolish toll tax on truck operators, rationalise the duty structure on diesel and exclude truckers' booking agents from the preview of service tax.

"When each truck operator is paying road tax, road development cess and permit fee to the government, then what is the need of paying toll tax," he questioned while adding, "either you (government) charge toll tax or other types of tax."