Transporters call for nation-wide strike December 8 onwards in support of farmers' protest

Coming forward in support of agitating farmers, transporters' apex body AIMTC on Wednesday threatened to halt operations in rrn India from December 8 if government fails to address concerns of farming community. All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) is apex body of transporters, representing about 95 lakh truckers and or entities.

"AIMTC has already extended its support to farmer agitation from day one. We have decided on stopping our operations strategically starting from rth India and if government does t address issue of farmers n we may decide to go for shutting down of transport operations nationwide in ir support," AIMTC President Kultaran Singh Atwal said. Atwal said road transport fraternity of country has extended its full support to farmers who are 'ann daata' (food providers).

AIMTC Core Committee Chairman Bal Malkit Singh told PTI, "Starting December 8, we will halt movement of supplies in entire rth India including Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. We will n escalate it to entire country if government fails to address ir issues." AIMTC, in a statement, said farmers are fighting for ir legitimate rights and over 70 per cent of rural households depend on agriculture. 

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Entire rth India is affected and thousands of trucks carrying food, vegetables and or perishable and n-perishable items coming from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir are impacted, it said.  AIMTC supports farmers as 65 per cent of trucks are engd in carrying farm produce, it added.

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"At present it is season of apples, which are getting wasted. Apart from that potatoes, onions and or fruits and vegetables as well as or essential commodities like medicines, milk etc too (are) stuck up as ir movement is disrupted, which is leading to ir short in Delhi and in or rrn states," statement said. situation will worsen in days to come, unless government take prudent and pragmatic steps to resolve farmers' concerns, it said.

" government must treat farmers with dignity and allay ir apprehensions on farm Acts. We wholeheartedly support cause of farmers and look forward to a peaceful and amicable resolution of ir issues raised by Government," it said.

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AIMTC is apex body of transporters (both cargo and passenger), representing more than 95 lakh truckers and about 50 lakh bus and taxi operators across country. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several or states have been protesting for seven consecutive days at borders of national capital against Centre's new farm laws. farmers have expressed apprehension that laws would pave way for dismantling of minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving m at "mercy" of big corporates. However, government has maintained that new laws will provide farmers with better opportunities. It has also accused opposition parties of misleading farmers.

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