KOLKATA, Sept 7: The trade between India and Bangladesh through the Mahadipur Port in Malda district of West Bengal was disrupted for the last two days due to some technical glitch causing the exporters to go on strike on Sunday demanding immediate corrective measures.
The disruption in power supply causing the computers to stay shut forced the port authorities to stop loading of vessels for six hours from 10 A.M. on Saturday in the absence of challans and other export documents. The suspension in services enraged the exporters to go on a four-hour strike on Sunday causing further disruption.
Both the Mahadipur Exporters Association and the Mahadipur Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents have levelled charges of corruption against the port authorities. They pointed out that though the customs department had purchased a generator three months back to overcome the problem of frequent power cuts, it was yet to be installed for unknown reasons. The demonstrating exporters also accused the port authorities of allowing some truckers to jump the queue on “payment of bribes.”
The strike was withdrawn and normal services resumed only after N.K. Naskar, the assistant commissioner of customs, who met the exporters and the C&F agents on Sunday, gave an assurance that their grievances would be looked into by the concerned authorities.
The Mahadipur port handle some 300 truck-loads of export traffic to Bangladesh worth Rs 18.33 crores per day, except on Fridays due to holiday in Bangladesh, and the exporters complained that disruption of services in the last two days caused them a loss of over Rs 20 crores.
The export from Mahadipur port to Bangladesh had resumed only from June 4 after 70 days lockdown due to the Corona pandemic.
(Venkatesh Iyer)