Bengaluru: The ongoing strike by lorry owners in Karnataka demanding a reduction in diesel prices and other concessions has intensified. From Wednesday, the movement of petrol, diesel, and LPG tankers will also come to a halt, affecting the supply of essential goods and services across the state.
Talks with the Karnataka government failed as the efforts by the state government to persuade lorry owners to withdraw strike have turned futile. On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held two rounds of talks with representatives of the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents' Association. However, the meetings did not produce a breakthrough.
Speaking to the media after the discussions, Federation President Dr. G.R. Shanmugappa said, "The meeting with the (Karnataka) Chief Minister was unsuccessful. We have decided to continue the strike. Even though the Chief Minister urged us to call it off, we made it clear that we would not step back. An indefinite and intensified protest will begin from Wednesday."
Over six lakh goods transport lorries and more than 5,000 logistics vehicles have ceased operations across Karnataka leading to widespread impact on goods transport. In addition, around 40,000 lorries passing through Bengaluru en route to other states have also been stopped. The disruption has led to delays in the transportation of fruits, vegetables, domestic LPG, groceries, construction materials like M-sand and gravel, and other essential goods.
The strike, which began at midnight on Monday, has seen participation from around 162 transport associations from across the state and country.
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy held a preliminary meeting with association leaders, including Dr. Shanmugappa. The minister promised a three-month study on scrapping fitness certificate (FC) charges and removing inter-state check posts. However, on critical demands like reducing diesel prices and abolishing toll plazas, the final decision was left to the Chief Minister.
During the second meeting, CM Siddaramaiah appealed to the lorry owners to call off the strike, citing that diesel prices in Karnataka were already lower than in neighbouring states. "The government is spending ₹14,000 crore annually on road improvements, with ₹83,000 crore allocated this year for capital expenditure. We are open to reviewing restrictions on lorry entry into city limits and other demands," he said.
Despite these assurances, the strike continues, causing increasing concern over supply chain disruptions and public inconvenience.
