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The indefinite strike by truck owners and employees demanding expansion of facilities at the busy Walayar check post on the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border entered the second day on Wednesday.
The toll committee of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), Tamil Nadu and Coimbatore, have been complaining for the last few months about the inordinate delay in clearance of trucks at the Walayar check-post. With no solution in sight, the AIMTC announced an indefinite strike from Mar 31.
The striking truck owners have been urging expansion of counters at the check post to ten from the existing three. They are also demanding installation of scanner machines, opening a green channel for perishable goods and a help desk.
Trucks from other states usually get delayed at the check post due to inordinate delay in cargo clearance.
On normal days, it takes 3-5 hours to get sales tax clearances, while on busy days it extends to 8-12 hours. This is resulting in stranding of traffic on the busy Coimbatore-Palakkad road.
Hundreds of trucks daily pass the gateway carrying items, mostly vegetables, eggs, sugar and other essential goods.
Speaking to Business Standard, truck owners alleged sales tax officers were demanding huge sums as bribe for tax clearances, and their truck loads were being blocked unnecessarily. KU James, a truck driver, said they were facing the problem for the last one year.
Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy told mediapersons he would convene a meeting of truck owners tomorrow to settle the issue.
Every day, 3,000 trucks arrive at the check post carrying goods worth Rs 600 crore to Kerala. State finance minister K M Mani has urged the striking truckers to call off the agitation, saying steps were being taken to improve facilities at the check post.
He said it had been decided to open 14 ‘In and Out’ counters and they would acquire 30 acres of land for providing basic facilities.
The land acquisition was getting delayed due to a stay order by court and government was in the process of getting it vacated, he said.
