Meeting with senior officers in Sectt today
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 3: The transport operators have withdrawn their call to suspend all the essential supplies in the Jammu and Kashmir and the UT of Ladakh in protest against the Government for its alleged failure to resolve their pending burning issues.
Chairman of All J&K Transport Welfare Association, T S Wazir told the “Excelsior’ late this evening that in a meeting with the Transport Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner Jammu and RTO Jammu held with the office bearers of the Association, the administration has requested the Association to review the decision of strike in view of COVID-19 crisis and also assured that tomorrow a meeting of the Association with the top officers in the Government has been fixed at Civil Secretariat Jammu on Thursday afternoon. They also assured that all the genuine issues of the transporters and operators would be resolved.
Wazir said after receiving assurance of meeting with top officers and resolution of issues, the Association decided to withdraw its essential supplies suspension call of June 4. He said if their issues remained unresolved, the Association would resume its strike.
Earlier, addressing a press conference this morning, Wazir said that several representations were submitted to the J&K UT Administration and even on earlier occasions issues were brought to the notice of former Governor, SP Malik and his advisors as well, but the administration only gave hollow assurances, on ground level, nothing was visible till today.
He said even during lock down period amid threats of Corona virus, when people in the country are sitting in their homes, the drivers, cleaners and other transport operators were forced to carry out their duty of ensuring essential supplies to the public in various states, UTs, regions and districts. Many vehicles are off the road since March 24, 2020 and the drivers/ cleaners and operators are facing starvation. No economic package or any financial help was provided to them by Government.
Wazir said now operation of flights, trains and even SRTC buses has been started by the Government but the public transport vehicles are not being allowed to operate. SRTC buses are operating with full capacity and wine shops are also opened, only transporters are being discriminated.
He said the Association projected the demands of the transport operators before the J&K UT Administration with regard to allowing operation of all buses/ mini buses normally, 50 % revision in passenger fare/ freight rate, waive off interest / fee / tax for 6 months, waive off insurance of vehicles for 6 months, withdraw Adda/ parking fee and also all the Toll Plazas in J&K but the J&K Administration has totally turned `blind eye’ towards these burning issues of the transporters/ operators. The Assocition had also given ultimatum to the Government but it again remained silent over the issue, Wazir added.
The Transport operators launched chain hunger strike at Maharaja Hari Singh Park near main Tawi bridge on June 2 and today was the second day of the hunger strike.
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