Truckers’ strike paralyses vehicular movement in Siliguri

HT, 27 Oct 2016, SILIGURI: Hundreds of long distance truckers on Wednesday paralysed vehicular movement on Asian Highway II 31D as they resorted to road blockade at Fulbari on the outskirt of Siliguri to protest against the alleged high handedness of the motor vehicle department. A section of motor vehicle officials assisted by police and civic police were harassing truck drivers on different pretexts for last couple of days, they alleged.

The drivers who hailed from different parts of the country said the motor vehicle officials were imposing heavy fines on false pretexts and were taking away the truck papers. But the officials gave receipts of lesser amount to the drivers than what was actually paid as fines, the drivers alleged.

The tension escalated after Pankaj Pandey, a truck driver from Jharkhand, was allegedly beaten up by the officials on Tuesday night. Pandey said, “I was ready to pay the actual fine, but the officials demanded an exorbitant amount. But, they would not give the receipt of the money paid to them. I protested and I was beaten up.”

Another driver Balbir Singh from Punjab said, “The Bengal motor vehicle officials were simply extorting money from the drivers.” He said, “When the actual fine amount should have been Rs 5,000, the truckers were sometimes asked to pay Rs 40,000.”

Though some of the drivers on whom the department imposed fine of lesser amount paid the amount and got their papers back, many complained that their papers have been taken away.

On Wednesday, the drivers after failing to get any respite brought their trucks on the Asian Highway II 31 D at Fulbari and protested by blocking the road for two hours.

Later, the blockade was lifted with the help of police. Rajen Sundas, the regional transport officer said, “I am not aware of the development.”