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| India truckers strike over fuel price | | | New Delhi | July 2
Nearly four million trucks have gone off India's roads after their owners began an indefinite strike to protest against rising fuel bills.
The soaring global price of crude oil has forced the Indian government to cut subsidies and raise prices.
Truck operators say they have been hit hard by oil prices which have risen by 40% since the beginning of the year.
Trucks carry food and other essential commodities in India. The strike is likely to push up their prices.
Analysts say this will add to the double digit inflation and slow down growth in the country.
A similar week-long strike in 2004 slowed down the annual growth in industrial output to 7.9% from 8.4% in the previous month as the strike disrupted shipments.
'No choice'
Truck operators "have no choice but to stay off the roads", Charan Singh Lohara of the All India Motor Transport Congress told the BBC.
"We are already running under huge losses. The cost of diesel is so high that we have nothing left to live on. The government must reduce the multiple taxes to compensate for the increasing cost of fuel."
The operators are also protesting against the toll taxes on highways imposed by the government.
Mr Lohara said the operators are due to meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday to discuss their demands.
In June, India raised fuel prices by 10%, the second such increase this year, because of the rising cost of oil globally.
India imports nearly 75% of its crude oil requirements and controls the price of domestic fuel products to help contain inflation and protect the poor. |
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