New Delhi: Fresh efforts were underway to break the deadlock between the government and the agitating transporters in a bid to end the week-long truckers' strike that has hit hard both common man and industry following disruption of movement of goods across the country.

With no solution in sight to the nation-wide strike, the matter is likely to figure prominently in Parliament on April 21 with the Opposition parties raking up the issue as prices of essential commodities have soared by 30-50 per cent and many industries fear closure for want of raw materials.

Hopes of an early end to the strike, which entered the eighth day on April 21, appeared dim with the transporters o April 20 rejecting a fresh appeal by government to end the stir.

"We have rejected the call given by Road Transport Ministry to end the stir as they first asked us to end the strike before coming to the negotiation table," AIMTC (All India Motor Transport Congress) secretary general J M Saksena had said.

The truckers, demanding immunity from the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) regime, an end to frequent fluctuation in diesel prices and harassment by state and police authorities among others, have also been joined by small lorries and tempos.

Meanwhile, the AIMTC, with 2.7 million trucks in its fold, has, however, decided to keep supply of essentials like milk and cooking gas out of the purview of the strike till April 24.

PTI