Chandigarh, April 6: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Thursday asked the Congress-led Punjab Government to hold talks with the truck operators, who boycotted the tender process for transportation of wheat crop, to end the stalemate.
Accusing the state government of “snatching” truckers’ livelihood, the former Deputy Chief Minister lashed out at the Congress Government for not completing award of tenders for crop transportation despite wheat procurement began on April 1.
“It was shocking that despite start of wheat purchase on April 1, the government has still not completed the process of awarding tenders for transportation of procured wheat to appropriate godowns,” said Sukhbir.
He asked the government to hold talks with the truck unions and settle the “imbroglio” quickly. “It was unfortunate that the government was using coercive methods to force the truckers to toe its dictatorial line,” he alleged.
While this was affecting the livelihood of thousands of truckers with more than 70,000 trucks being used for this purpose, it would also affect farmers as failure to lift wheat from mandis would clog them and delay the procurement process, he noted.
“At least 80 percent of the 70,000 odd trucks used to transport wheat and paddy during the biannual procurement season are self owned,” he said.
Alleging that the government had done “nothing” for farmers and Dalits and not created any new jobs for youth, Sukhbir said that it was now bent on “snatching” the livelihood of those who were gainfully employed in the trucking business.
“Simultaneously, the government is looking the other way while its leaders manipulate labour contracts and get them awarded to their favourites at steep rates due to extraneous reasons. This is not how governments work. We condemn this and extend our whole-hearted support to truckers as well as labourers who have been affected by the Congress’ high-handedness,” he said.
Source The Pioneer
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