Truck strike hits Indian vegetable trade

The ongoing nationwide truckers' strike has hit business in Tamil Nadu badly, with the DMK and the PMK questioning the silence of the Centre and state government over the deadlock. As the truckers' stir entered its fourth consecutive day on Sunday, supply of goods to various parts of the country has been affected with vendors predicting a steep rise in the prices of vegetable and essential commodities from Monday.

The All India Motor Transport Congress, which represents the truckers, is demanding the scrapping of the existing toll system, seeking a one-time payment of taxes and simplification of the TDS procedure.

According to R Soundararajan, former advisor to the Koyambedu Market Wholesalers' Association, 270 trucks came into Koyambedu market on Saturday but only 250 trucks came in on Sunday. "We had to pay the driver at least 3,000 extra to travel," he said. On a regular day around 350 lorries bring in vegetables here. "If the strike is stronger tomorrow and not enough trucks come in, vegetable prices will shoot up," he said.

The retail price of tomatoes dropped from Rs 30 to Rs 25 on Sunday. Beans, beetroot, yam were being sold at lower prices while potatoes and carrots were costlier by Rs 3 and Rs 5.

Meanwhile, political parties issued statements on the loss of business and the impact on the state. DMK president M Karunanidhi said that goods were lying unused and supply of vegetables and perishable goods to Koyambedu Vegetable market and other parts of the state had dropped by 20 per cent. The Central government, he said, has lost 20 billion, state has lost 2 billion and lorry owners in Tamil Nadu have lost 105 million due to the strike.

Source: indiatimes.com