Truckers’ strike may lead to surge in city vegetable prices

PATNA: Road connectivity between Patna and neighbouring districts was the worst affected as truckers under the umbrella of Bihar Truck Owners Association continued their statewide indefinite strike for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. Tractor Owners' Association and retailers under Laghu Khanij Vyavsayi Sangh (LKVS) also joined hands with the truckers, who are up in arms against the state government's new mining policy which has hit sand mining and its supply across state.
There were long queues of vehicles at several places on the national and state highways, causing traffic jams.

The truckers are angry as the new mining policy makes it mandatory to install e-locks and GPS on trucks transporting sand and minerals and carry sand only to the depots fixed by the government.

The strike resulted in long queue of vehicles from Koilwar to Bihta and Arwal. Traffic movement was badly hit on highways in Barh, Mokama, Zero Mile and Bihta area of Patna district.

Sources said the truckers' strike may result in sharp surge in prices of vegetables and can cause scarcity of other items in the state capital.

Truck Owners' Association president Bhanushekhar Prasad Singh told TOI that they were called by transport department principal secretary Brijesh Mehrotra on Wednesday to know about their demands and reasons behind the strike. "We told him about our demands and problems. But the meeting was more like an attempt by the government to know our intentions as the principal secretary did not assure us anything," Singh said.

He said the state government's decision to get sand-laden vehicles checked by police was harassment for them. "Vehicles engaged in mining should be checked by mining or administrative officials only," he said.

Meanwhile, tractor union's president Dayanand Singh said around 25,000 tractor owners in Bihar have been earning almost nothing since July this year. "Each owner involved in sand mining has at least three to four tractors and one tractor ensures daily earning to at least four labourers, including driver. All of them are on the verge of starvation," he said.

LKVS president Prafulla Kumar said retailers and labourers working under them are also on the verge of starvation as they have been earning nothing for almost the last five months.

Mines and geology department director Asangba Chuba Ao did not respond to the TOI calls.