Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 27: All Jammu Passenger Transport Welfare Association has threatened the Government to start indefinite strike from January 2, 2014, if the authorities concerned failed to issue Notification effecting 40 percent hike in passenger fare by January 1, 2014.
The decision to this effect was taken in an emergency meeting of representatives of All Jammu Province Passenger Transport Welfare Association held under the chairmanship of Bharat Bhushan Gupta, vice chairman of the Association.
While addressing all the transporters strongly criticized the attitude of the Government towards problems of transporters who were not in a position to ply their vehicles due to steep hike in petroleum products while the Central Government was increasing rate of diesel every month and during the past one year the rate of diesel has been increased by Rs 7.50 per litre.
They added that Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) has also increased the rate for 3rd Party Insurance from April 1, 2013 due to which plying of vehicles has become uneconomical and increase in passenger fare has become inevitable.
The transporters stated that they had observed token strike on September 30, 2013 and the Government had assured to announce passenger hike within 15 days but nothing has been done till date.
They added that the Fare Standing Committee called a meeting on December 16, 2013 at Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Principal Finance Secretary Transport in which representatives of transport unions from Jammu and Srinagar provinces were also present. During the meeting Finance Commissioner had directed the Transport Commission to reconsider the demand of transporters for revision in passenger fare and submit report within two days, but nothing has been done till date.
The transporters have while issuing indefinite strike call have regretted the inconvenience to be caused to general public in view of strike.
Those present in the meeting included Anil Chopra, Davinder Chowdhary, Vijay Kumar, S Sukhvir Singh Bajwa, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Sardar K D Singh, S Mohinder Singh, Vijay Singh Chib, Shanti Saroop Gupta, S Kuldeep Singh, D K Mehra and S Gurdeep Singh.
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