Thiruvananthapuram: A protest by cargo truck owners against the inordinate delay in clearing cargo at the Walayar check post near Palakkad in Kerala has affected cargo movement into the state.
Trucks coming into Kerala through Walayar have stopped plying to Kerala, citing abnormal delay in clearing trucks, despite complaints about the same in the past. The decision to stop plying into Kerala was announced by the All India Motor Transport Congress.
The Walayar check post was where the former finance minister, TM Thomas Isaac had laid special emphasis on, to ensure that red tape was cut, corruption reduced and smooth movement of trucks ensured.
Truck owners have complained that of the nearly 2,000 check posts around the country, Walayar, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, is among the worst, where delays of 10-12 hours in clearing trucks are common.
The truck owners’ decision is likely to lead to a spurt in prices of all essential commodities in the state, since Kerala gets a major portion of its consumer items, from vegetables to eggs and other provisions, from across the border.
Officials have attributed the delay at the check post to a shortage of staff and the inability to keep all counters open.
However, truck owners have maintained that corruption and inordinate delays have made their job difficult.
Considering the serious implications of the truck strike, chief minister Oommen Chandy has agreed to have talks with the truckers on Thursday. According to estimates, some 3,000 trucks pass through Walayar into Kerala every day.
