Support to bandh successful, transporters incur Rs 2,000 cr loss: AIMTC

All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) represents about 95 lakh truckers and other entities

Transporters' apex body AIMTC on Tuesday said the support to the farmers' Bharat Bandh call was successful, and the transport industry incurred a loss of Rs 2,000 crore on account of halting operations.

All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), representing about 95 lakh truckers and other entities, had earlier announced to suspend operations in the country to support the Bharat Bandh called by agitating farmers.

"The transport fraternity support to farmers has been highly successful...About 90 lakh trucks, tempo, trailers stood still on the call of AIMTC and the transport industry too bore losses of about Rs 2,000 crore," AIMTC President Kultarn Singh Atwal said.

AIMTC in a statement said it will continue to extend support to farmers.

"The support by the transport fraternity to the Bharat Bandh call by farmers is successful, peaceful and voluntary," AIMTC Secretary General Naveen Gupta said.

The body had yesterday said the transporters in the entire country will halt operations in support of the farmers' Bharat Bandh call.

AIMTC's former President and Chairman of its Core Committee Bal Malkit Singh had said that the fraternity will organise peaceful demonstrations and protest rallies at truck terminals in various districts.

Terming the farm sector as the backbone and lifeline of the nation, the body had said the leaders of transport associations and unions from almost all 739 districts and talukas in the country also came forward and decided to organise peaceful demonstrations under the banner of AIMTC.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states have been protesting for 12 consecutive days at the borders of the national capital against the Centre's new farm laws.

The farmers have expressed apprehension that the laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will provide farmers with better opportunities. It has also accused the opposition parties of misleading farmers.