RailEnquiry

Amritsar : While cement import from Pakistan through the rail route has come to a halt, traders are having a tough time importing cement via the Attari-Wagah land route due to lack of infrastructure.This has fuelled fears that cement prices may go up in the domestic market in the days to come. President of the All-India Cement Importers Association, MPS Chatha, said the cement stock that was to be imported via the rail route had also arrived.They were counting on the land route for imports, but lack of infrastructure and labour problems, particularly on the other side of the border, had left them disappointed. He said Pakistan’s cement exporters were also facing a problem getting clearance from the Customs authorities there. “It is taking them four to five days to get their consignment cleared,” he said. Hence, the volume of trade had dipped drastically.Chatha said the delay in resolving the matter could lead to an increase in the cement prices in the domestic market. “Already, the cement prices have gone up from Rs 245 to Rs 260 per bag in the wholesale market.,” he said.Chatha said a delegation of traders from Amritsar, led by MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, had left for New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.