Title - Pak traders stop cement export

Move derails Indian exports; no wagons, goods worth Rs 600 cr lying in godowns
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Amritsar : Cement import from Pakistan via the rail route has come to a halt once again. Traders in Pakistan have stopped sending consignments to India in view of repeated instances of heroin seizure in rail cargo.This is the second time this year that cement import has been stopped. Earlier in August, Indian traders had suspended cement import for the same reason. They had resumed it a month later after the Pakistani authorities started using metallic seals on wagons.Talking to The Tribune, All-India Cement Importers president MPS Chatha said there had been no cement import from Pakistan for the past three weeks. He said the Pakistani traders had clearly told their authorities that they would not be exporting cement to India through the rail route until they were given a guarantee that no contraband would be found in the rail cargo. He said a section of Indian importers were still importing cement via the Attari-Wagah land route but had suffered losses. “Around 10 to 12 trucks of cement are arriving daily from Pakistan by the road route,” he said.

On the impact on cement prices in the domestic market, cement importer Rajan Bedi said there had been no effect on the proces whatsoever as construction activity had already touched a nadir due to non-availability of sand.

“Had the supply of sand in the market been regular, the cement prices would have shot up considerably by now,” he said. He claimed that he used to import 1.25 lakh bags of cement per month from Pakistan and was now importing merely 30,000 cement bags per month via the road route.

The suspension of cement import from Pakistan has taken a toll on the export of Indian goods via the rail route as no goods train is arriving from Pakistan and traders allege that the Indian Railways has failed to provide any wagons.

Prominent exporter Rajesh Setia said Indian goods worth Rs 600 crore were waiting to be exported to Pakistan by the rail route. “We’ve strongly taken up the matter with the Divisional Railway Manager. He has assured us that wagons will be available for exports on a regular basis.”

Jaspal Singh, a clearing agent, said: “There are 2,400 wagonloads of goods, including 1,600 wagonloads of soyabean, which are to be exported to the neighbouring country. Also, Indian polymers and chemicals are lying in the cargo facility here.”



TRADE IN JEOPARDY

JUNE 2: 5 kg of heroin, hidden in a heap of 488 cement bags in a goods train from Pakistan, seized

JULY 16: 7 kg of heroin seized from a wagon of goods train carrying cement from Pakistan hidden in cement bags

AUGUST 3: 3 kg of heroin hidden in cement bags seized by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials

AUGUST 4: Indian traders suspend cement import from Pakistan, seek installation of scanners at rail cargo facility

SEPT 3: Indian traders resume cement import after Pakistan Customs start using metal seals on bogies

OCT 8: 105 kg heroin worth Rs 525 crore and 500 cartridges found in a rail cargo from Pakistan

OCT 20: 23 kg of heroin recovered in rail cargo from Pakistan; porter arrested



SAND TRUCKS STUCK

The ban on sand mining has prompted Indian traders to import sand from Pakistan. But six trucks loaded with sand that have arrived at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) are awaiting clearance for the past three days. Cement importer Rajan Bedi said importing sand from Pakistan at Rs 3,000 per truck was not feasible