UltraTech Cement in Himachal hikes truckers freight charges by almost double

The management of UltraTech  Company at Baga Cement plant in district Solan has put the Adani group in trouble by increasing the freight charges for cement transportation. According to plant management it has hiked the freight charge of cement transportation to Rs 10.71 paise per ton per kilometer which is almost double being offered by Adani Cement plants.  Earlier this freight was Rs 10. 58 per tone per kilometer.  The hike has dealt a blow to Adani Group’s claim that it is incurring losses by running cement factories at Darlaghat and Barmana due to high freight rates. State government also supported Truck unions who are  suffering loss in the Transportation.   On the other hand, the agitating operators of Barmana and Darlaghat have put the Adani management in the dock after this increase.  On  December 15, 2022, Adani management suddenly closed both the cement factories in the state.  Since then till now nearly 7000 trucks engaged for transportation in these two cement plants are standing on the roads.  These truck operator are agitating but Adani group prefer to wind up operation and not interested to open cement plants despite state government urged Corporate several times to negotiate the freight charges on the prevailing market prices. However  Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Adani group strained there relationship as stand off prevailed after intervention of Chief minister, Deputy Chief minister, Industry Minister and top bureaucracy  for more than 55 days.  Talk in Darlaghat and Bharmana Truckers remained inconclusive on Wednesday and Thursday to decided mutually accepted  freight formula. It has been stated by the representative of Tuck union that  Adani management offered  to pay Rs.9  tone per km but Truckers are demanding Rs 10.53 and 11.43 tones per km Freight. . In the negotiations the Adani management remained adamant to not pay more than Rs.9. Along with this, it was proposed to reduce the fare of multi axle vehicles by 30 percent from the existing freight fare. The operators rejected this offer. There was no discussion today on the issue of freight. The Joint Action Committee meeting of all the truck unions was held in Dadla today and major decisions were taken on the next strategy. Now, to raise this issue loudly, this committee has constituted two sub committees today, one of these  has been given the responsibility to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to raise the issue. While another participate in the meeting called on February 13 on the call of Chief Minister Sukhu. Ram Kishan Sharma, former president of Bagha  Land Loser Transport Cooperative Society and member of the core committee, termed argument of Adani Group that the company is suffering loss due to the freight rates of cement transportation misleading.