New Delhi: The transporters' agitation appears to have lost steam with truckers in at least three major states having called off their agitation while in some other important cities small-time truck owners were back on the roads.

Truckers in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa put a halt to the stir even as All India Motor Transport Congress, which is spearheading the strike, claimed that the stir was still on with only "disgruntled elements" having withdrawn.

While top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were closeted with the agitating truckers, Transport Minister B C Khanduri made it clear that highway tax, which the operators had demanded to be waived off, was not negotiable.

He also said the seven states in which overloading of trucks were widely resorted to have been asked to take stringent action against such practises.

On truckers' another major demand of stability in diesel prices, Khanduri, however, said the Petroleum Ministry would discuss the matter with the concerned authorities.

As the strike entered the eighth day, there were varying reports about the hike in prices of essential commodities and supply of raw materials to factories.

While the government claimed that there was no appreciable increase in prices of essential commodities, trade bodies claimed the rise ranged from 30-50 per cent.

With the transporters strike echoing in Parliament on April 21, government said Khanduri would make a statement on April 22.

PTI