Truck operators returned to work in Himachal after sixty-eight days

Truck operators at two Adani group-owned cement plants at Bilaspur and Solan districts returned to work after 68 days of strike following an agreement over the freight rates.

Truckers were on strike after the closure of two cement plants in Bilaspur and Solan by Adani group-owned ACC and Ambuja Cements.

The deadlock between the cement company management and truck operators ended on Monday after both the management of the Adani cement plants (Barmana in Bilaspur and Darlaghat in Solan) and the representatives of the truck unions agreed to the new freight rate of Rs 10.30 per kilometre per tonne for single axle and Rs 9.30 per kilometre per tonne for multi-axle during a meeting held here chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Truck operators on Tuesday called the General House in Darlaghat to discuss the CM's announcement regarding freight rates. In this, a proposal was made regarding the new rate, which has been accepted unanimously. Hundreds of people from eight societies gathered in the General House.

A detailed discussion was held in the general body about the freight rates announced by the government. The members of all the societies participated in it and they celebrated the CM announcement with the company throughout the day.

Along with agreeing on the proposal of a new rate of freight, a 23-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 23 points as per which about 50 lakh metric tonnes of cement and clinker will be dispatched from Darlaghat every year.

The fare hike will be under the old formula, new cement dumps will not be opened, new societies will not be formed in the area, and there are many issues on which the MoU will be signed between the two parties.

Ramkishan, former head of the Baghal Land Loser Transport Cooperative Assembly and member of the core committee, said that the freight rate has been fixed at Rs 10.30.