Tussle between Palledar, FCI labour continues

On November 30, the district manager (DM) FCI got eighty trucks of rice loaded from near the cremation ground godowns. But the DM did not allow the trucks loaded of rice to be dispatched to the rail head.

Two special goods trains kept on waiting on the rail head and the Palledar Mazdoor Union kept on waiting on the rail head for unloading the trucks and loading the rice stocks into the goods train. The requisite security of Rs 40,000 each was being deposited by the FCI authorities to the railway department to requisition both the goods trains. Both empty trains left the Sangrur rail head after waiting for the necessary stranding. The railway authorities forfeited their security deposits to the tune of Rs 80,000 and imposed Rs 10,000 as the damage.

When ENS contacted general secretary of the Palledar Mazdoor Union Subhas Chand over the failure of the FCI authorities in unloading of the trucks and the loading of the rail wagons, he said they preferred to depute the loading of the wagons by their own labour. He said that their labour did not allow them any bungling of the less weight of their bags. He also alleged that huge loss of about 8800 gunny bags was also incurred by the FCI labour due to the use of hooks first for loading the bags into trucks and then again unloading it into the godowns. The use of hooks tore the bags and the huge stock of the poured rice was bungled by them. He disclosed that the FCI authorities also paid Rs 32000 at the rate of Rs 400 per truck as the freight of the trucks.

When ENS contacted the DM, FCI today, he charged that the compromise was imposed upon them by the district administration when they have their own daily wage labour.