Following failure on the part of the authorities concerned to curb the menace of alleged ‘gunda tax’ collected from the oil tankers at the Digboi Golai-based marketing oil terminal in Tinsukia district, the Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union (APMU) has called for an indefinite strike commencing from August 27 next.
Ranjan Chowdhury, president of APMU, said that to protest the unabated illegal collection (‘gunda tax’) of Rs 300 per tanker daily in Digboi Golai area and the ongoing syndicate in the marketing terminal, the APMU in its central committee meeting held in Guwahati recently chalked out an agenda of indefinite strike to be started on August 27 across the State.
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The APMU has urged all dealers, transporters and drivers to boycott the works of loading and unloading of the consignment from the source terminal to any destination to put an end and fight against the alleged corruption.
It may be mentioned that similar strike was carried out earlier on August 13 which could not bring any desired result due to non-cooperation by some of the tank owners and drivers, who kept the business on despite resistance from the union.
Further, the matter grew worse when the union alleged that the local BJP MLA of Digboi, Suren Phukan was involved in the syndicate.
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However, MLA Phukan, while clarifying his stand on the issue had stated, “The unemployed youths of Golai might collect money from the drivers of the oil tankers for their livelihood and I can’t see anything wrong here but I am not at all involved in it.”