The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents’ Association on Tuesday withdrew its indefinite strike call after the government said it released Rs 244 crore in dues pending for transport operators under the flagship Anna Bhagya scheme.
“The government has given us in writing that the dues will be cleared in the next two days. So we have decided to withdraw the strike,” said G R Shanmugappa, president of the federation.
An order issued by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, dated July 8, empowered the chief account officer of Bengaluru Urban zilla panchayat to release 244.1 crore in dues for truck operators.
The protest, announced by the federation on Monday, had threatened to disrupt the supply of subsidised foodgrains to ration shops under the Congress government’s scheme benefiting low-income families, potentially affecting food security in Karnataka.
The truck operators had halted rice transportation under the scheme, citing unpaid dues of Rs 260 crore from February to June 2025. Shanmugappa had claimed that 3,500–4,000 drivers were affected, with some having pawned jewellery to meet fuel and other expenses and facing truck seizures by finance companies.
The state government had promised payments to be made by June 19, but failed to clear the dues. Separately, the federation also demanded the rollback of the Rs 5/litre diesel hike, abolition of toll plazas on 18 highways in the state, return of Rs 25-Rs 30 crore tender deposits, cancellation of the Rs 15,000 renewal fee for older vehicles, and a 50 per cent discount on fines.
The Opposition BJP has trained guns at the Congress government over the pending dues. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “The government has run out of money and they have no money to pay to the truck owners. The chief minister, deputy chief minister and the entire cabinet are busy saving their chairs. The government is dead and the people are waiting to throw them out.”
