The association’s president Vishnu Sawal claimed the government had taken care of the rich truck owners but neglected the poor drivers. He said, “Presently, the truck drivers are working for daily wages to feed their families. We are not demanding compensation on par with the owners, but at least some relief should be given to the drivers’ family.”
The truck drivers are unemployed for more than three years now. They led many agitations from different fronts in the hopes of getting some sort of relief. They stated former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had assured them a relief package nine months ago, but they hadn’t received anything so far.
“We have been meeting our MLA Pramod Sawant, but every time he assures us that the financial package is in the process,” said Govind Damaskar, a mining-affected truck driver.
