Sources from Namakkal, Tamilnadu have stated that the indefinite strike by the LPG tanker lorry owners in Tamilnadu entered the fourth day on Thursday with no response from the State and Central governments so far on their demands. Meanwhile following their strike, transportation of about 18,000 tonnes of cooking gas from treatment plants to bottling units has been affected on a daily basis.
According to sources the decision by the ‘Southern Region Bulk LPG Transport Owners Association’ who commenced their strike on Monday, primarily demanding to give up state-level tenders for rental tanker lorries to distribute cooking gas cylinders and also to continue with existing system of floating regional level tenders by the public sector oil companies, has resulted in about 4,200 tankers lorries not operating for the last four days.
Moreover the Association president, M Ponnambalam, said, “though we are
not convinced at the talks, we are in a situation of having to accept the new
tender system. However, we are demanding cancellation of submission of tenders
by those who do not own lorries and to ensure a stable rental basis system.
Only after the oil companies accept these two demands, we can operate our
lorries.”
