Salt units seek more rakes

The Kutch Small Scale Salt Manufacturers' Association (KSSSMA), an umbrella organisation of salt manufacturers in Kutch district, has shot off a letter to Union railway minister Nitish Kumar, seeking his intervention in ensuring that the industry gets more rakes to transport salt. Kutch district accounts for close to half of the country's salt production.

KSSSMA has also criticised Western Railway officials, alleging that while the railways claims that salt manufacturers are overloading rakes, the weighbridges installed by railways are faulty.

KSSSMA president Bachubhai Ahir, in the letter written to the railway minister, said railway wagons are passed over an `in-motion' weighbridge which is faulty and gives erratic readings.

"While the railways alleges that salt manufacturers are overloading the rakes with salt, the fact is that the weighbridge is faulty," Ahir said in the letter.

He said the railways has been charging heavy detention and unloading charges, while the practice being followed is that salt bags are thrown outside the rakes and along the railway lines.

"The wagon doors are opened by breaking the original lock put up by the consignor and the doors are left open, rendering these wagons prone to theft," Ahir said.

He said no records are maintained of the bags left inside the wagons and details of bags disposed off while weighing is not communicated to the consignor.

"This leaves ample space for pilferage," Ahir said.

The association stated that about 3.45 lakh metric tonne of salt is still lying pending for want of transportation facilities.

According to the industry, while the industry needs at least two or three wagons per day, the Railways has not been providing more than seven or eight rail wagons per week.

Railway officials earlier stated that while there is a shortage of rakes all over the country because of a sudden spurt in production of almost all goods, the more serious problem is that of overloading that salt manufacturers are indulging in, causing delays in the weighbridge.

Also, a large amount of manpower has to be posted in checking the menace rather than doing other duties.