Indian truckers end strike after eight days

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, July 28 (Reuters) – Indian truckers have called off their strike after eight days as the government agreed to consider their demands to cut levies on diesel fuel, an official of the protesting group said on Saturday.

The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), an organisation of transporters that organised the strike, had demanded a cut in federal and state levies on diesel by bringing the fuel under the scope of the nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST).

India’s Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari late on Friday said the government was sympathetic towards truckers’ concerns and had formed a committee to look into their demands.

AIMTC’s secretary general Naveen Gupta confirmed the strike had ended, adding that the organisation hoped the government will quickly address their issues.

The strike, which began on July 20, had disrupted production and sales of vehicles in the country and affected deliveries for e-commerce firms such as Amazon. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav and Aditya Kalra; Editing by Michael Perry)