Hundreds lose livelihood as duty hike hits bilateral trade

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 18

The disruption of bilateral trade between India and Pakistan as a fallout of Pulwama attack has not only affected the traders but also hit a substantial number of families living in the border belt who were engaged in allied services like transporting, loading and unloading of goods and at godowns at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP).

A delegation of porters under the banner of Hind Mazdoor Sabha today sought the intervention of the Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, for the sake of their livelihood.

Since February 16, around 90,000 bags of cement, 6,000 bags of dry dates, 500 tonnes of limestone, gypsum and inorganic chemicals and drugs in bulk have been lying at the ICP cargo for the want of Customs clearance. The reason is that the Centre has imposed 200 per cent duty on the goods imported from Pakistan.

Against an average of 250 trucks, a mere 15 trucks that too from Afghanistan cross the border daily.

Balwinder Singh, porters’ representative, said around 1,433 porters had been earning their livelihood at Attari. “For the past four months, they are without work. We urge the district administration to raise our voice up to the Central authorities,” he said.

Ashok Sethi, Director, Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said. “Around one lakh persons have been directly or indirectly affected by the closure of import trade. It is a huge job loss for people living in the border areas,” he said.

A truck operator, Kulwinder Singh, said many trucks had already been confiscated by banks for non-payment of EMIs.

Daljit Singh, a Customs clearing agent, said it would not be viable for the traders to accept goods imported from Pakistan by paying 200 per cent duty along with 28 per cent GST. “These goods could also not be re-exported as the traders would be levied heavy warehousing charges,” he said.

Anil Mehra, president, All India Dry Dates Association, said, “The approximate value of imports as on February 16 was Rs 5 crore and the duty implication of Rs 1 crore was paid the same day. This entitled the traders to lift the goods even on the subsequent day i.e. till February 17. We had urged the Centre to allow us to lift the material at normal rates, but in vain.”