Truce in sight for striking truckers?

NAMAKKAL: As the truckers’ strike entered its fourth day, talks between the Centre and truckers’ associations, aimed at breaking the deadlock, concluded on a positive note here on Monday.Association leaders expressed satisfaction over the talks and informed that the negotiations would continue on Tuesday.State Federation of Lorry Owners Associations- Tamil Nadu (SFLOATN) president K Nallathampi told Express that the officials of the ministry of road transport and highways have given an oral agreement to grant a 50 per cent discount in the toll fee collected for vehicles with local registration numbers.Officials also assured that the toll would not be collected on the highway between Krishnagiri and Chennai, which was yet to be widened, he added. The association had opposed toll collection before the completion of the road expansion work on the highway.  According to sources, the talks lasted for more than four hours.  Secretary of the ministry A K Upadhyay, joint secretary Nithin Ramesh Gokaran represented the Centre, while G R Shanmugappa, Gopal Naidu, K Nallathampi, Velu and nine others represented the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) during the talks.Nallathampi said negotiations would continue on Tuesday in the presence of the Minister for Road Transport and Highways.  It is hoped that a final agreement might be reached during the second round of talks.The truckers strike was launched on August 18 midnight in six states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The strike was called by the South Zone Motor Transporters Welfare Association (SZMTWA).