Truckers to Stop Operations to Kerala from Saturday July 20,2013

Truckers will stop operating their vehicles to Kerala from midnight of July 20 to protest against the delay in clearing trucks entering the State through the check-post at Walayar on the Coimbatore-Palakkad border, Chairman of the All India Motor Transport Congress’s (AIMTC) Toll Committee and the former National President of the transporters body G.R. Shanmugappa said on Tuesday July 16,2013

The decision was taken at the AIMTC’s Managing Committee meeting on July 2,2013

A letter announcing the strike was sent to the Government of India and Kerala

“We will wait till Saturday for necessary action, failing which the strike will be inevitable. Movement of goods to Kerala on all the routes will be stopped,” G.R. Shanmugappa said

AIMTC vice-president for South India, N.P. Velu, said Kerala made it mandatory for trucks carrying goods worth more than Rs.10 lakh to enter only through Walayar and about 5,000 to 6,000 load carriers – including 2,500 trucks and trailers – from across India reached Kerala through Walayar every day

Reason

Each truck was cleared in less than 10 minutes at check-posts in Tamil Nadu. But, it took 8 to 24 hours at the Walayar check-post in Kerala

 Lorry Transport Strike Halts Movement between TN-Kerala
With lorry owners going on strike from July 20,2013 Saturday midnight protesting the “inordinate delay” in clearing vehicles at Kerala’s Commercial Taxes check-post at Walayar near Tamil Nadu border, goods worth crores of rupees have been left stranded.
Lorries parked at Ukkadam in Coimbatore on Sunday due to the halting of operations to Kerala

The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) had called for this strike to draw the attention of the Kerala government on this simmering issue

This is the sixth time truckers have frozen movement of trucks to Kerala in about a decade, seeking a solution to this issue

It was decided that entry of trucks into Kerala would be stopped from midnight on July 21,2013 Sunday, trucks loaded with food items and essential commodities were allowed to enter Kerala till 3 a.m

According to K.R. Arumugham, President of Coimbatore Lorry Owners’Association, nearly 2,500 lorries from across the country, carrying produce and products ranging from rice, chicken and eggs to motor cars, have stopped plying to Kerala
Palakkad Collector P.M. Ali Asgar Pasha told that a meeting with lorry owners would be held on Monday at the Palakkad Collectorate. Kerala government had taken this issue seriously and was contemplating adding two more counters at the check-post, which had around 14 at present.

Keral State Chief Secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan on July 22,2013 Monday said he would submit a report to the government on steps for the smooth flow of traffic through the Walayar check-post on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border

He earlier visited the check-posts of various departments and held discussions with officials.