NAWALPARASI: In a demonstration seeking the revision of fares lasting four years, truck and tipper dealers have converged at the Hongshi Cement factory to voice their discontent regarding the unaltered transportation fares.
Yadav Paudel, President of the Sardi Bhutuke Tipper Business Association, expressed that this protest was necessitated by the prolonged stagnation of transportation rates established when the industry commenced operations.
Paudel emphasized that the rates for tippers engaged in transporting essential raw materials for the industry have remained unchanged for a period spanning four years. “We’ve repeatedly called for fare increases, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” Paudel stated.
The raw materials vital for the industry’s production processes are sourced from Palpa, with local entrepreneurs responsible for transporting limestone from Palpa to the Udyog facility. These business operators lamented that their appeals for fare hikes, even when brought before the district administration office and the local village council office, were met with disregard. Subsequently, following the closure of the industry’s gates by the transporters, the operations of cargo trucks entering the facility and transporting cement from it have been significantly impeded.
Drivers initiated their protest at the primary entrance of Hongshi Cement early in the morning, asserting that the cost of cement and clinker remains unaltered despite a more than twofold increase in fuel prices. Tirtha Dumre disclosed that they also voiced slogans against the management of the cement factory. The factory is situated in a locale known as Sardi within the Vinayi Triveni Rural Municipality and stands as the largest Chinese investment facility in Nepal.
As a result of the ongoing demonstration at the main gate, the transportation of cement has come to a standstill since the morning.
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