Transport workers to hold nationwide stir on August 7
Opposition to Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill-2017
Bengaluru, July 30: The Federation of Workers and Owners Associations of road transport has decided to hold a nationwide strike on August 7, urging the central government to withdraw Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill-2017, protect the transport industry and implement Social Security Act for the unorganized workers.
Speaking to reporters at the Press Club here on Monday, Federation leader K Prakash said that autos, taxi, private bus, trucks, state road transport corporations, workshops, spare parts shops and others were under critical situation. They have been facing the harassment from the officials and the police. At this situation, the central government has planned to amend the existing Motor Vehicle Act to destabilize the owners and workers of the industry and handover the entire industry to Indian and corporate companies. They would not allow the government to pass this Bill which aimed at harassing the workers and owners of the transport vehicles, he said.
This Bill would snatch the power of the state government. The power giving inter-state permits would go to the centre and it was a conspiracy to snatch the special right given to the state governments. If the Bill was passed, it would pave way for private operators to run their vehicles without permits, he said.
If the Bill was passed, then the drivers and conductors would be held responsible for accidents and slapped hefty fine. The central government was claiming that the Bill was amended to check the accidents, which is a lie, he said.
KSRTC Employees Federation president HD Revappa, OUT Drivers and Owners Association president Tanvir Pasha, Rudramurthy of Auto Drivers Association, Siddaiah of Taxi Drivers Association, Commercial Vehicles Drivers Association president Puttalingaiah and others were present.
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Test of democracy is king tolerates dissent, introspects: Nitin Gadkari
Pune, Sep 21: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the biggest test of democracy is that the ruler tolerates even the strongest opinion against him, and it leads to introspection.
Writers and intellectuals should express themselves fearlessly, the senior BJP leader said at a book release function held at MIT World Peace University here on Friday.
"The biggest test of democracy is that the king tolerates the strongest opinion against him and introspects over it," he said.
In India, there is no problem of difference of opinion but "there is a problem of lack of opinion," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said.
"We are neither rightist, nor leftist. We are opportunists. It is expected from writers and intellectuals that they express their opinions without any fear," he added.
Gadkari also said that as long as untouchability and notions of social inferiority and superiority persist, the work of nation-building can not be said to be complete.
