Over 4,000 truck owners in Odisha, who have severely been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, on Thursday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to dole out certain bailout measures to save their families.
In a letter to the CM, the Odisha Truck Owners’ Sangha (OTWS) said their vehicles are lying idle due to a halt in economic activities in the State and, hence, they are not in a position to pay their road taxes and insurance fees and are unable to support the families directly and indirectly associated with truck transport services. “During the pandemic when the world is in a turmoil and people are in their homes to keep away from coronavirus, we have been rendering continuous services for the benefit of the public and society. During the last two years, fuel price has continuously increased and maintenance of the vehicles has been more expensive. At the same time, almost all the industries, except the iron ore-based ones, have closed, adversely affecting our operations,” the truck owners said. Sharing a copy of the letter to the CM with the media, OTWS president Puranjan Padhi said the association has sought waiver of road taxes for two years.
“We have sought exemption of road taxes for two years. We have demanded that those who have paid the tax during this period be given exemption for next two years and tax defaulters be forgiven,” Padhi said.
The OTWS also demanded in the letter implementation of the fixed rate for freight on kilometer basis as notified by the State Government on July 6, 2021. The association sought the CM’s intervention to give adequate loads of minerals from mines areas to different ports like Paradip and Gopalpur and other plant sites so as to keep their vehicles running. This apart, it sought rationalisation of the exorbitant toll and entry taxes.
“Our financial backbone has completely been broken and we are now literally starving. We have also appealed to the CM to order or advise the bankers to relax the payment of installments of truck buyers for one year. Besides, we have prayed to him for a special package for truck drivers and helpers,” Padhi said.