Loading-unloading charges up due to labour shortage

Loading-unloading charges up due to labour shortage

Amritsar, June 2

Anil Mehra, president of the Federation of Dry Fruit and Karyana Merchants, said the labour shortage had hiked the loading and unloading charges in Majitha Mandi and other commercial areas around it.

He said now labourers had started charging between Rs 8 and 10 for loading and unloading a sack, but before the lockdown they were charging Rs5.

Similarly, loading-unloading charges of sacks in a small truck have up to Rs 1,000 from Rs 800 and for a large truck to Rs 1,200 from Rs 1,000.

“Apparently, it is the result of migration of labourers to their native places. There are about 3,000 shops dealing in eatables like dry fruits, FMCG, spices, cereals, pulses and others in this part of the area and 80 per cent of the labourers have left for other states,” he said. Sumit Bhatia, another trader, said most of the traders preferred to store eatables in cold stores due to searing heat wave and approaching sultry weather. — TNS