BHUBANESWAR, OCT 1: Around 1.7 lakh trucks in the State remained off the road on Thursday following the nationwide indefinite strike called by All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) in demand of scrapping the toll system and one-time payment of taxes.
However, essential commodities and perishable goods like milk, vegetables and medicine have been kept off the purview of the strike.
The truck owners in Odisha also opposed the state government’s proposed green tax on them.
“As the NDA government has increased the number of toll gates, we are facing problems like unnecessary burning of fuel due to standing at queues and causing pollution,” said Odisha Truck Owners’ Federation general secretary Rabinarayan Satpathy.
“The transport agencies are not generating TDS certificates in time as a result of which, we are facing difficulties in claims. We demand abolition of the TDS system,” another member rued.
