Iron ore transport from NMDC mines restored

The dispute among truckers over transportation of iron-ore from the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) facilities in Bastar had been finally resolved.

The transportation of iron-ore from NMDC mines by trucks to different places was restored today. For the last 20 days, the iron-ore transportation from Bastar by road had come to a standstill.

The clash among truckers flared up when the Bastar Transport Association (BTA) hike the transportation tariff of iron-ore from Rs 780 to Rs 1125 per tone. The move was aimed to establish monopoly and keep the other associations from transportation of iron ore from Bastar.

The Chhattisgarh Sponge Iron Manufacturers’ Association was first to oppose the hike. The Raipur-Bastar-Koraput Transport Association (RBKTA) also opposed the move but the BTA was in no mood to reconsider the decision.

The BTA also stopped RBKTA from loading iron-ore from Bastar if they did not accept the revised tariff plan.

While scores of trucks from Raipur were stranded at different places in Bastar as the BTA, the RBKTA also announced that it would not allow the trucks from Bastar to neither off load the goods here nor load while returning.

As the dispute plunged into big crises, Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry intervened and held several rounds of meetings with the delegations of both the association. Finally, the issue was resolved with Chamber building consensus on a common tariff.

The members of both the association had agreed to transport iron-ore at a price of Rs 950 per tonne.