Rice millers peeved over increase in freight charges

Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 10

The Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters’ Industry is peeved over raising of freight charges by ‘self-styled’ truck unions by more than 50 per cent for ferrying the export cargo to sea ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra thereby disrupting the rice trade.

The association has urged the district administration and the police officials to intervene and disband such truck union allowing free movement of goods across the country.

Logistics charges rise by over 50%

The association alleged that arbitrary and unjustified increase in the charges from Rs120 to Rs130 per ton to Rs190 to Rs200 per ton from Amritsar to Gujarat and other sea port destinations there by increasing the logistics charges by more than 50 per cent. This has caused disruption in our export and domestic business.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the association alleged that arbitrary and unjustified increase in the charges from Rs120 to Rs130 per ton to Rs190 to Rs200 per ton from Amritsar to Gujarat and other sea port destinations there by increasing the logistics charges by more than 50 per cent. This has caused disruption in our export and domestic business.

The association said Amritsar alone accounted for over 1,000 trucks every month carrying basmati and rice cargo to different parts of the country and also for exports. The majority of basmati exporters are based in Punjab with an annual turnover of Rs14,000 crore and it is important that the shipments have to be delivered on schedule and any disruption can play havoc with the trade.

It alleged that the unholy alliance of truckers were threatening our regular truck operators forcing them to join their unions and adopting coercive methods and forcing them to not to load their trucks rendering the business unviable in states like Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Delhi and MP.

“We urge Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khera to instruct Regional Transport Authority for immediate action and ensure seamless movements of essential goods,” said the association. It added that their trade was already facing difficult times due to pandemic and coronavirus lockdowns in the country.