The ongoing nationwide transporters’ indefinite strike of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) and several others associations is gaining momentum and now adversely impacting vegetables and fruits growers of the state.

CPM legislature from Theog assembly segment Rakesh Singha has raised the issue with the state
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and requested him to intervene and convince the Union Government to resolve the issues on priority basis.

Singha, in his letter to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, stated that the “strike is adversely affecting the farmers especially in Himachal Pradesh as the only mode of transportation is through the operation of road transport.”

Theog legislature stated that due to transporters’ strike – farmers of Himachal are suffering heavy losses especially the growers producing vegetables and fruits. In different parts of the state Apple pears have been harvested but no trucks are available to transport the produce to the various national or local markets, resulting in huge losses to the farmers.

Reports suggesting that the transporters strike has also hit trading and industrial activities in Himachal Pradesh as well. Leading English daily has reported that the major multinational companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Wipro and P&G have temporarily shut their manufacturing operations after non-availability of raw material haven’t received for the last six days, in the Baddi industrial areas. Industries in Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh region are facing losses to the tune of of Rs 500 crore every day, report claimed.

The transporters are on strike since July 20, 2018 and demanding reduction in Central and State taxes by getting diesel under GST so that the price of the deregulated commodity can be reduced.