Commerce Ministry official assures to take up exporters’ demand

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 17

Bhupinder S Bhalla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, has assured city-based importers and exporters to put up their demand for increasing six more goods wagons in Samjhauta Express, which goes to Pakistan twice a week.

At present, there are 18 wagons in the train which includes 10 passenger and eight goods bogies. Its numbers could be increased to 24 wagons.

Importers and exporters brought to his and other government officials’ notice various difficulties being faced while trading with Pakistan through the Land Customs Station (LCS), Amritsar.

Other officials present were Jagtosh Shukla, Senior Divisional Operation Manager, Railways, Ferozepur Division; Dr Arvind, Joint Commissioner, Customs; and KS Brar, Joint Director, Commerce Department, Punjab.

A clearing house agent and exporter, Dilip Singh, said the departure time of the goods train was not fixed and at the time of booking the wagon for export, no date regarding the movement of the wagon was mentioned.

He pointed out that exporters bring the cargo to the LCS Rail Cargo on assumed dates resulting in a huge waiting period.

“Since the railways does not provide any space for stacking of the export cargo, the goods are kept waiting on trucks. It results in exporters suffering demurrage and damages to the cargo,” he said.

Another exporter Rajesh Setia said no advance booking was permitted in the Samjhauta Express and parcel wagons.

“There is no periphery wall or fencing or controlled entry and exit points at the rail cargo in the city. It leads to pilferage of export cargo and encourages the movement of contraband. The railways have not earmarked any warehouses for stacking of export cargo. On the other hand, railways have earmarked warehouses for import cargo and these are lying vacant due to no imports at the LCS Rail Cargo,” he said.

LCS Rail Cargo is a non-EDI dry port and it has not provided suitable office space for customs officers and equipment.

Another entrepreneur Rajesh Kumar said the railways had not been attending meetings of structured platforms for facilitation of trade at ports like the port coordination committee being formed at the customs commissionerate level, resulting in lack of understanding of trade issues.

All these drawbacks are leading to high transaction time and high transaction cost at the LCS Rail cargo Amritsar, they said.

Samjhauta Express has 18 wagons

At present, there are 18 wagons in Samjhauta Express, which includes 10 passenger and eight goods bogies. Its numbers could be increased to 24 wagons. Importers and exporters brought to the notice of Bhupinder S Bhalla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, and other government officials various difficulties being faced while trading with Pakistan through the Land Customs Station, Amritsar.