New sand policy: Truckers threaten to bring state to stand-still
Patna,(BiharTimes): Owners of over 1.3 lakh trucks in Bihar are on warpath. They have threatened to stop all the vehicular traffic in the states barring ambulances and milk tankers in protest against the state government policy on the sale of sand.
If this really happens it would bring the state to stand still and will have crippling impact on its economy.
The truckers protest followed seizure of 900 trucks after being charged under various provisions of the newly enacted Bihar Minor Mineral Rules 2017. The Patna high court has stayed it and the case is pending in the Supreme Court.
“We are going to block all roads and bridges, except ambulances and milk tankers. Entry of trucks into the state too would be stopped at every point,” said Bhanu Shekhar Prasad Singh, President Bihar Truck-Owners’ Association.
It is feared that the threat by truckers may push prices up.
Mines and georgloy minister Vinod Kumar Singh saud that the government would look into the matter.
Half of trucks in Bihar are engaged in transportation of sand in 28 out of 38 districts of the state.
Truckers are opposing the strict financial penalty and jail term clause of the new Rules that also provides for fitting e-locks and GPS system for monitoring their movements.
