Minister UT Khader to Launch DK Lorry Owners Unions Federation on 19 Nov
Minister UT Khader to Launch DK Lorry Owners Unions Federation on 19 Nov at Town Hall, Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Hotel Foodland, Mangaluru, Jayaraj Shetty, the President of DK Lorry Owners Unions Federation said, “We the lorry owners have been facing tremendous harassment from the district administration authorities and the police department for the last so many months. Due to the restrictions imposed on sand extraction, we are unable to transport any sand for so many months- and many drivers who are depending on that income are left in dark. They are unable to support their families due to this sand ban”.
“Also our drivers have been harassed by police for unnecessary reasons, and are made to pay excessive fines in a corrupt way, or their lorries getting seized. There are many lorries that have been seized and many owners are having a tough time to release them. Many owners are unable to pay the loans due to lack of income. The central government’s move to frequently increase diesel price is causing trouble to lorry owners and public alike. Our repeated written requests on the issue to the central government were not effective. The increase in insurance price to be paid by the lorry owners has only created yet another problem to the lorry owners” added Shetty.
He further said, “In order to address all these issues we the lorry owners decided to form the DK Lorry Owners Unions Federation which will be inaugurated by minister U T Khader on Monday 19 November at Town Hall, Mangaluru. We will also be joined by local building contractors, civil engineers and many others alike for this inauguration. We have also invited the concerned officials from the district administration, including the DC, former minister Ramanath Rai, MLC’s Ivan D’souza and Bhoja Gowda, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, police commissioner T R Suresh, MCC Mayor Bhasker K, SP Dr B R Ravikanthe Gowda, among many others, so that our voices and demands could be heard by them during the inaugural function”. “If our demands are not rectified within a month, and we don’t get justice in this regard, we will stage indefinite protests until we get justice’ warned Jayaraj Shetty.
Other board members of the Federation namely Abdul Kareem, Rajaratna Sanil, Sunil Fernandes, M S Mohan, B S Chanda, were among others present during the press meet.