Adani Group-Truckers crisis will be resolved in next two days, says Himachal Pradesh CM
Shimla: Faced with criticism over a prolonged crisis pertaining to truck unions’ strike at two mega cement plants of the Adani Group, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the matter will be resolved in the next two days.
Arriving at Shimla from Goa, where he had gone to attend the wedding of outgoing Governor Rajendra Vishanath Arlekar’s son, Sukhu said, “I had tried his best to see that truckers and cement companies reach a settlement on freight charges but the matter got prolonged.”
The Chief Minister said he has invited the representatives of the striking truck unions for talks and will see that there is some headway. Besides this, Industries Minister Harshvardan Chauhan has been assigned the task of getting the matter resolved without any further delay.
“The government stands firmly with the truck operators. Their demands are genuine. We are supporting them not simply because they belong to Himachal Pradesh but also because they lost their lands in the establishment of the cement plants. Most of the truck operators are land losers”, he added.
Sukhu said any further continuation of the strike, and also the closure of the cement plant is not in the interest of the state. The transport business is badly hit and so are the functioning of the plants. The livelihoods of hundreds of people are involved. Further, the truck operators also are required to pay EMIs to the banks as they had raised loans.
He made it clear that if there is no amicable settlement, the government will initiate a strong action against the company. Even the truck unions, he said, should realize that they have to come to a negotiation table in the interest of people and stakeholders.
The truck unions had suggested lower rates of Rs 10.20 per quintal per km but Adani Group was still adamant at Rs 9.95 per quintal per km. It’s a fact that earlier Adani Group had slashed the freight charges to Rs 6 against Rs 13.42 per quintal per km demanded by the unions.
