The mineral transport business has led to a tussle among the truck owners associations of Kendrapada, Jajpur and Keonjhar district.
A few days back, Keonjhar truck owners alleged that their trucks were detained and the drivers were harassed at the unloading point at the Paradip Port. The iron ore from Keonjhar mines is transported to Paradip en route Anandpur, Jajpur and Chandikhol. Hence, all truck owners on the route always wish to engage their trucks in this mineral transport. But since the loading points of the minerals are located in the Keonjhar district, the local truck owners get a priority in loading which sparks discontentment among outside district truck owners.
The truck owners of Paradip, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapada and Jajpur areas allegedly have started harassing the Keonjhar RTA registered trucks at the unloading point. In a backlash, the Keonjhar truck owners started detaining trucks of other districts on the Paradip route inside Keonjhar district for the last one week near Ranki bypass.
Now, hundreds of trucks are parked on the National Highway after detention and no solution to the crisis has been evolved between the truck associations. Many Keonjhar registered trucks are also detained by other associations on the Chandikhol-Paradip Express Highway. The driver and truck staff detained at Keonjhar are being provided food and water by the Kendujhar District Truck Owners’ Association (KDTOA). "If they keep harassing our trucks at Paradip, we will not allow the trucks from their area to enter our district or get a loading at our mines," the KDTOA joint secretary said.
A joint meeting of these associations is needed to discuss and find a solution to the dispute, opined many here.