Assam: Protestors spark syndicate concerns, price hike allegations against private firm in Dhubri Port

A protest was staged at the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Dhubri Port by a group of exporters, labourers, and local residents, together with security guards and their against a firm identified as A to Z Exim over alleged hooliganism.

As per protesters, the protesters claimed that Eleena Ahmed of the A to Z Exim firm, Rosi Rani Talukdar, Anshuman Phukan, and one Singh are in command of the alleged nexus (Gunda-raj) at the Dhubri IWAI Port. Due to which, the shipping of coal and rock/stone to Bangladesh has been suspended overall.

The additional hooliganism tax levied by A to Z Exim firm is illegally imposed and fixed on exporters, instead of being the amount set by the government for loading coal and stones for export in Bangladesh.

Exporters allege that A to Z Exim, a Mumbai-based company that IWAI leased the Dhubri Port, is unlawfully demanding extra payments of 800-900 rupees for coal and 350 rupees for stone in the form of Gunda tax.

In the meantime, six security guards who were previously employed have been removed of their duties. The inexplicable dismissal of six security personnel by A to Z Exim without cause or prior warning and without paying outstanding debts which occurred an hue cry situation in their families.

Rajiv Mukherjee, a representative of M/s Poly Acharjee, one of the oldest exporter in Dhubri Port, stated that, there must be a conspiracy behind all such negligence or intentionally neglected by the higher authorities which is administered by Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has created a scandalous joke in Dhubri.

One of the CNF's member, Gedra Choudhury, asserts that the company's alleged thug, Gunda, has taken control of his JCB and Dumper and is operating them in Dhubri Port. He also alleges that up to this point, he has not received any payment.

Dilip Dutta another exporter stated that, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India's importers and exporters have come to a significant response. If the aforementioned firm continue to act in such an unsightly and immoral manner at the Dhubri IWAI Port, the export of stone and coal to Bangladesh will be in halt.

The protestors also claims that an enormous syndicate develops at the Dhubri Ship Port after the privatisation, their should be an official inquiry conduct by a retired justice of High Court, to stop the alleged nexus which is growing up like mushrooms.

Lastly, how the firm A to Z Exim has gathered tender, to take out a five-year mortgage on the Ship Port of Dhubri, Assam. At present, all the work on the Port has been on hault. Importers from Bangladesh refuse to purchase the coal and rock/stone on high rate, which is fixed by the said firm.

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