Closure of Adani's cement plants: Shimla meeting inconclusive, fresh talks at Arki on Dec 26

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 23

A standing committee meeting convened in Shimla today could not work out an amicable solution to break the nine-day-old standoff between transporter unions and the management of the Adani group.

RD Nazeem, Principal Secretary (Transport), chaired the meeting that was attended by the representatives of transporter societies engaged in transportation work at Ambuja Cements Limited (ACL), Darlaghat, and ACC Ltd at Gagal village in Bilaspur, Adani Group management and officials of industries, civil supplies corporation and finance departments.

A fresh round of talks would be held Monday onwards at the SDM office at Arki for ACL, Darlaghat, while the transporters engaged in ACC Ltd at Gagal have sought a week’s time to work out calculations after convening a general house. All officials had been directed to go to Arki to hold the next level of talks on Monday, said Nazeem.

Meanwhile, the Adani Group management was taken to task for abruptly closing two manufacturing units on December 15. The government officials made it clear to the company management that they would work out an amicable solution taking into consideration various factors such as the amount of transportation work available, mileage, fuel price and a slew of other factors that affect freight rates.

Ajay Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, Adani Group, attended the meeting. He said that operating the two units at the existing freight had become unsustainable and he had quoted the lower freight rate as paid in Rajasthan.

The transporters justified the existing freight of Rs 10.58 PTPK and said that the Adani Group management had calculated the freight rate of Rs 6 PTPK on the basis of the availability of 50,000 km work every year to a trucker while a truck plied about 30,000 km a year.

Fresh rates would be worked out on Monday considering all factors where the transporters and the company management would put forth their views.

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