Trucks impounded, Baddi association approaches police

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 20

In a direct face-off between investors and Nalagarh Truck Operators Union (NTOU), the latter stopped as many as eight trucks owned by various companies bound for various destinations from plying and forcibly took them to the union office last evening.

Since these companies had failed to give the union adequate work as per the terms agreed upon, the union decided to stop the company-owned trucks from plying.

As per the prevailing arrangement, the companies which own their own trucks are supposed to give a certain quantum of work to the union. Though incidents of a truck or two having been stopped by the union were routine but since eight trucks were stopped from plying last evening the issue had become contentious.

A complaint was made to the police in this regard. Though the truck union let off the trucks later in the day but they retained the registration papers. Inspector General of Police, South Range, SZH Zaidi, when contacted, said the issue had been resolved after the intervention of the local police and the union had released the trucks as well as their papers to the respective owners. He said given the seriousness of the issue a meeting of industry representatives and truck operators has been called tomorrow by the Baddi police to amicably resolve the issue.

Condemning the act, the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA) said, “The industry in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) area has been availing the services of the NTOU since long in a peaceful and cordial manner and it was unfortunate that the union had yesterday held eight trucks of various companies operating in the area.”

The association’s president Sailesh Aggarwal, general secretary YS Guleria and advisor Depak Bhandari said they were holding talks to settle the issues amicably so that the business interest of both sides were protected.

They said discussions were also underway to settle issues like rationalization of rates. “We fear that with such unlawful activities, the spirit of the existing as well as new investors and efforts of the state government to woo investment will go in vain”, they said.