IFFCO unit resumes operations as truckers lift blockade

PARADIP: Two days after being forced to shut down its unit here due to a strike and road blockade by truckers, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) today resumed operations at the plant following the withdrawal of the transporters' stir.

"While the plant has resumed functioning in the wake of lifting of the road blockade by truckers, production is likely to restart tomorrow," a spokesman of the multi-unit cooperative society said.

The Paradip plant had suspended operations on December 31 as it was unable to dispatch produced fertilisers and receive raw materials due to road blocks put up by the truckers since December 26.

"IFFCO authorities were compelled to stop operation of the plant. Around 45,000 MT of DAP had piled up as we were unable to dispatch. Raw materials, essential to run the unit, are also not reaching due to the road blockade by the Truckers Association," a senior IFFCO official had said.

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the Truck Owners Association, Paradip, had asked IFFCO to engage only their trucks for dispatch of fertilisers within Odisha at the rates settled by them, he said.

The work of road transportation of fertilisers within Odisha is awarded by IFFCO through competitive bidding and the JCC was demanding more than double the existing rates for transportation of fertilisers.