India, Pakistan back at the table

Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde assured truckers, who were on a day-long strike yesterday to protest the ban on eight-year old trucks from entering city limits, of the state government's assistance in taking up their issue before the judiciary.

Around 30,000 trucks, tempos and private buses affiliated to about 240 transport associations in the city went off the road yesterday.

A spokesperson from the chief minister's office told Business Standard: "The chief minister assured the truckers that the government will represent to the court the difficulties that will be encountered by the state to comply with the court orders in such a short time. We will present this view to the court."

The day-long strike organised by transporters, however, failed to impact the supply of essentials.

According to a senior government official, the wholesale vegetable markets in Vashi and other parts of the state did not experience any shortfall.

The state police ensured that adequate security was available for trucks transporting essential commodities from regions such as Raigad to Vashi.

The truckers' combine has been demanding that the state appoint a senior legal luminary to represent their cause before the judiciary while appealing against the court order.

The state has, however, stopped short or offering any assurances on this count as it would be akin to conceding that the advocate appointed earlier by it had failed to professionally exercise his brief.

The truckers were demanding that senior lawyer (and Congress party leader) Kapil Sibal be handed the brief to represent their case.

The transporters held a meeting at the south Mumbai located Azad Maidan grounds where a sizeable number of transporters converged during the early part of the day.