The nationwide strike called by the All India Motor Transport Congress demanding amendments to the recently introduced Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita entered second day on Tuesday. The strike has affected supply of fuel and other essentials.
The Centre, under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita which replaces the Indian penal Code, has introduced severe punishment and fine for motorists responsible for accidents and fleeing an accident scene without alerting the police. As per the new law, motorists may face up to 10 years of imprisonment and a hefty fine of ₹7 lakh.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Long queues at petrol pumps in Nagpur as Transport Association, drivers protest against new law on hit and run cases. pic.twitter.com/FWgQd1F5iH
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2024
The protests have affected the supply of essentials like fuel and LPG cylinders. The Maharashtra government has advised police to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials. The protests have reportedly led to panic buying of petrol and diesel in Maharashtra. Long queues of vehicles were seen outside petrol pumps in Nagpur, Thane, Jalgaon, and Dhulia, NDTV reported.
The Maharashtra Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department has written a letter to all police commissioners and superintendents of police expressing concern about the stir and its affect on the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders.
The state-level coordinator (oil industry) has requested the Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department to intervene to resolve the ongoing impasse as truck drivers and petroleum product transporters were on strike in front of the Mumbai refinery on Monday, officials said.
“It was observed that packed lorry drivers were on strike and not reporting to the plant due to which the operation of dispatching LPG cylinders in the market was hampered,” the letter mentioned.
The same was happening with other petroleum products like petrol, diesel and kerosene, as per the letter.
Considering the affect of the strike, the Food and Civil Supply Department requested police to take necessary measures to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply of those products. It also urged for appropriate action under the Essential Commodities Act against drivers and transporters for interruption of supply of petroleum products.
The Food and Civil Supply Department also expected truckers to not get involved in untoward incidents and cause law and order problems.
-with PTI inputs.
