New Delhi: The four-day old strike by truck operators against service tax showed no signs of ending with the truckers rejecting Finance Minister P Chidambaram's fresh appeal to end the agitation saying there was no proposal to impose the levy on them.

While there was no shortage of essential commodities like milk, vegetables and fuel, that have been exempted from the strike by two more days till tomorrow, the prices shot up by at least 10 per cent at retail end in major markets.

The strike, called by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), also blocked movement of goods particularly at ports, which resulted in congestion.

Chidambaram, at a hurriedly called press conference late tonight (Aug 24, 2004), clarified the new tax would apply only to booking agents and not to truck owners or transporters. He also promised security to truckers who broke away from the striking union.

AIMTC president B N Dhumal out rightly rejected Chidambaram's fresh plea saying the strike would be called off only when the service tax was withdrawn.

"They have been saying this for the past few days. We are not convinced. Levy of service tax on anyone in the transporting chain would ultimately result in harassment of the truckers at check posts," he said.