Fertiliser cooperative IFFCO on Sunday stopped operation of its plant here as it was unable to dispatch nutrients and receive raw materials due to strike and road blockade by the truckers since December 26.
“IFFCO authorities were compelled to stop operation of Paradip plant. Around 45000 MTs of DAP have piled up as we are unable to dispatch. Raw materials essential to run the unit are also not reaching due to road blockade by Truckers Association,” a spokesman of IFFCO said.
The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of Truck Owners Association, Paradip has asked IFFCO to engage only their trucks for dispatch of fertilisers within Odisha at the rates decided by them, he said.
The work of road transportation of fertilisers within Odisha is awarded by IFFCO through competitive bidding and the JCC is demanding more than double the existing rates of transportation of fertiliser.
IFFCO finalises the transportation rates through competitive bidding by way of tendering process. Now, a large number of trucks are supplied by other truck associations. No commercial organisation can afford to accept such demands, a senior IFFCO official said.
A number of meetings have been held with JCC in the presence of district administration and the last meeting was held on December 24, he said.
All the issues were discussed and it was decided that IFFCO will find some solution and discuss the same with JCC on December 27 at Paradip, he said.
Unfortunately, from December 26 the JCC laid a siege and indulged in blockade of roads of IFFCO stalling inward or outward movement of fertiliser and raw materials.
Due to blockade, storage of final products are full and raw material shortages are experienced, he said adding IFFCO is incurring a loss of more than Rs 1 crore per day because of this blockade.