Truckers' strike: No shortages yet, but prolonged stir may hurt

Several wholesale vegetable and fruit vendors at Delhi's Azadpur mandi said supplies on Tuesday were normal but could be disrupted on Wednesday as vehicles carrying vegetables from Maharashtra, Kolkata and Karnataka have been stopped at various locations due to the strike called by truck drivers.

- Aheli Das, Ashna Butani

In a similar vein, fuel dealers in the Capital also said that supply thus far has been normal in the city. "Unlike other parts of the country, the situation of fuel supply in Delhi was normal.

There are around 400 petrol pumps associated with us all of which have been supplied petrol and diesel as per the normal routine today. We are not foreseeing any crisis in terms of fuel supply in Delhi at this stage," said Nishit Goyal, who represents the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association.

Truck drivers in several parts of the country have called a strike against the new criminal code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which increases the punishment for hit-and-run cases to imprisonment of up to 10 years with a fine of up to 27 lakh. The erstwhile Indian Penal Code had no specific fine and the maximum punishment was for two years.

Azadpur is the largest of the eight fruit and vegetables wholesale markets in Delhi. Traders and retail vendors who procure from the market told HT that the impact would first be felt on commodities coming from faraway states where the strike is more widespread.