A day after the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, transporters too have decided to hike their charges by around 10 per cent. While a few companies have already hiked the prices, the rest have confirmed to do so in a day or two.

Charan Singh Lohara, spokesperson, All India Motor Transport Congress, said, Our costs have increased by Re 1 per km. Hence, we have no choice but to pass on the hike to the consumers. The clients have been conveyed the decision. The charges are applicable from Thursday onwards as we cannot afford to bear the losses.

Lohara added that they will conduct a meeting with the finance secretary tomorrow evening on this issue. He said that he has this information that the oil companies are in profit but are crying foul thereby forcing the Finance ministry to take extreme measures.

While the transporters have already announced the hike, the tyre-manufacturing units, nut bolt units etc, who send their goods through the transport agencies too will announce their hike soon.

Even private van owners, mini bus operators and auto rickshaw owners, who take children to schools, have intimated to increase the prices soon.

Last but not the least; your favourite roadside food will too get costlier in the coming days.

The Central Excise Department has sent show cause notices to various departments regarding their pending dues. Lohara said they have been termed as courier services and cargo services providers and hence have been told to pay service tax with retrospective effect from 2001 with penalty while they came in this category since April 2004. A discussion on this subject will also be held tomorrow with the Finance Department in New Delhi.