HimVani
Shimla: Strike by transporters attached with India’s third largest cement manufacturer Ambuja Cements Ltd’s plant situated at Darlaghat area of Solan district completed 13 days today, forcing the company to suspend production in two units. An estimated 40,000 tonne cement bags and 15,00000 tones clinkers have been laying ready to be dispatched as 3,000 truckers engaged in the transportation work are on strike since October 7, representatives of the truckers claimed.
The company, in which Swiss cement maker Holcim holds about 46 per cent sake, produces 3,000 tones of cement bags and 15,000 tonne of clinkers daily.
Solan district truckers Cooperative Organization’ convener Ram Kishan Thakur said that about 3,000 truckers were stranded still on the road due to the ongoing friction and stalemate between truckers and the company. He complained that the company was providing freight of Rs 4,300 in lieu of transporting 9 tonne cement to its Ropar plant in Punjab from Darlagaht and it was in agreement of 25 per cent discount which has now totally loss propositions to them.
He said that they were demanding hike of 20 per cent in the fare to keep it at par with other cement companies. He said that truckers could not carry cement above 9 tonne per truck owing to Supreme Court’s directions regarding overloading.
He said that currently Bhagal Land Losers Transporter Cooperative Society(BLLTCS), Arki-Darlaghat Kisan Motor(ADKM) and Golden Land Losers Transport Society(GLLTS) and Solan District Truckers Cooperative Organization (SDTCO) were engaged in cement transportation, which are attacked with Suli and Rauri plants of Amuja at Darlaghat and carrying its production to Nalagarh, Ropar and Bathinda plants.
The two plants in Himachal account for about 2.8 million tonne, or about 13 per cent of the company’s total annual capacity of 22 million tonne. The company has a capacity to produce three million tonne per annum in Himachal. The company’s shares were down 1.30 per cent at Rs 137 on Monday.
