Oil tanker owners back truckers strike

​Hyderabad: The Telangana Petroleum Tank Trucks Owners have extended their support to the striking lorry owners association by observing one-day bandh on Tuesday.

The Association members gave a representation to the Chief Secretary S K Joshi requesting suspension of operations of petroleum products on Tuesday. The strike of lorry owners association has entered fourth day on Monday. According to the Lorry Owners Association leaders, many vehicles were off the roads.

The Telangana Petroleum Tank Trucks Owners Association Honorary President and TRS MLA V Srinivas Goud said that the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) and the state organisation Lorry Owners Association have been on strike since July 20 and to support them the Association would suspend transport operations of petroleum products in the tankers in Telangana.

He said that the insurance premiums payable every year have risen by more than 100 per cent compared to the premiums payable in the last one year. “We have been demanding transparency and reduction in third party insurance premium through exemption of GST and abolishing of excess commission paid to the agent through comprehensive policy,” said Association President K Rajshekhar Reddy. The association has also demanded bringing the petroleum products under GST.

Joshi said that among the demands of lorry owners, the issue of single permit was being pursued by the state government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had signed the file and sent to the Andhra Pradesh government. 

Regarding the remaining issues, they would be discussed in the meeting of Road Safety Authority, said Joshi. Lorry Owners Association President N Bhaskar Reddy, Petroleum Tank Trucks Owners Association President K Rajashekhar Reddy, other leaders Durga Prasad, Saleem, Syed Arif-ul-Hassan, Prasad, Murthi and others were also present.