Under the 1965 scheme, supposed to facilitate easy clearance, transporters can bring in goods without paying octroi. But traders have to pay the duty at the Mangal Bazaar octroi office and procure certain documents to release the goods.

Recently, however, the VMC had found five of the 29 beneficiaries of the VDIS-like scheme to be guilty of paying low octroi on various kinds of goods.

Explaining the stand, Baroda Road Transport Association president Surender S Yadav told reporters on Wednesday that transporters had been victimised as they were not supposed to pay octroi directly. Vice-president Kirit Joshi and honorary secretary P M Vaghela alleged that traders and municipal employees were hand-in-glove over payment of less octroi.

Giving an example, Vaghela said that for goods weighing 300 kg, the VMC employees took octroi on only 100 kg.

The office-bearers maintained they could not be held responsible if traders came to them with receipts of low octroi. They said they could not monitor consignments on a daily basis. They said an estimated 100 trucks -- each carrying goods worth around Rs 7 lakhs -- entered the city daily, carrying various commodities on which octroi is levied.

Joshi said their discussions on the issue with the VMC had proved futile. ``Although we promised the VMC details of erring traders if relevant bills were provided, it did not respond'', says Vaghela added.

Joint secretary S P Sharma and Treasurer R A Mittal were irked that the VMC did not even issue notices before barring them. They said the strike would continue till the five were reincluded in the scheme.

The office-bearers claimed that 90 per cent of the VMC's total revenue from octroi was generated by the 46 transporters, who had also informed their sister concerns elsewhere in the State and outside not to accept orders for Vadodara.

An Association member said the purpose of the scheme was to facilitate easy passing of goods as the VMC does not have adequate facilities to park the trucks while the goods were being assessed. Joshi said that, unlike in other parts of the State, there was no `transportnagar'; also, transporters were not allowed to use telephones at VMC octroi posts.

Vaghela complained that transporters had to obtain transit passes despite being based in Vadodara. A transporter alleged that they were also made to pay a certain amount on octroi. He further informed that for the last one week, the affected transporters had already stopped bringing goods.

When contacted for administration's preparedness during the strike, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (General) I B Peerzada claimed the transporters had not informed him. Three civic employees of clerk and senior clerk level have already been suspended for the irregularities and a vigilance inquiry is on, he added.