Solan: Trucks bought on cement firm’s insistence being sold

Solan, May 2

A number of transporters plying trucks for the Darlaghat-based Ambuja Cements Limited are under pressure to choose between transportation work and employment in the firm.

Employees rue that the change in the ownership of the company from time to time has led to several modifications in the policy over the past 15 years.

87 give up transportation work

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• Around 130 employees of the Darlaghat-based Ambuja Cements Limited also plied trucks for the unit
• Many of them had bought these vehicles by availing the facility of interest-free three-year loan extended by the company
• Of them, 87 sold their trucks before the April 30 deadline to save their jobs as the new management of the firm asked them to choose between transportation work or job at the unit

When the company was taken over by multinational company Holcim, transporters were extended a monetary help of Rs 3 lakh to buy multi-axle vehicles and asked to phase out single-axle vehicles for fuel efficiency and enhanced viability.

The opportunity was availed by a large number of truckers who were extended interest-free loan by the company, which was to be returned in three years.

The transporters, however, received a jolt after the Adani Cement management took over the company in September last year after which they were asked to opt either for a job or transportation business.

Ramkrishan Sharma, former president of a transport society, said the new policy was against the interests of the locals, especially the land losers who surrendered their arable land for setting up this plant.

A single-axle truck barely managed to do work worth Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 every month. This has put truck owners in difficulty as those who have availed loans to buy trucks have to pay Rs 60,000-70,000 instalment every month.

The transporters said it was strange that the state government was acting as mute spectator to the entire situation.