Cargo worth crores stuck at airport

TNN / Mar 15, 2008, 04:29 IST

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More than 100 tonne of export goods - worth hundreds of crores of rupees - is lying in the cargo hold since the wee hours of Wednesday.

KOLKATA: The two-day strike by airport staff ended on Thursday evening. But for those dealing with freight, the misery is yet to be over. Export cargo remained stranded at the Kolkata airport for the third day on Friday as airlines ruled out paying any demurrage charges for the cargo that could not be shipped out on time due to the strike.
More than 100 tonne of export goods - worth hundreds of crores of rupees - is lying in the cargo hold since the wee hours of Wednesday.
"There has been no movement of cargo since March 11 midnight. All gates to the cargo complex have remained shut, preventing any bid to either lift export cargo or get the import cargo cleared by customs. When airlines officials went to the cargo complex to resume operations on Friday, Airports Authority of India officers demanded demurrage charges for stocking the cargo beyond 48 hours after arrival. We refused to accede to the demand as it was the airport staff that had called the strike. They were responsible for the delay,�� Cargo Facilitation Committee chairman Lewis Alfonso told TOI.
While planes flew in and out of the airport, cargo operations ground to a halt. A dead body, life-saving drugs and perishables were held up for over 24 hours. The official in charge of the section refused to take any initiative to clear the cargo fearing a backlash from union members. It was only after a senior officer from Customs complained to acting airport director Mahesh Kaul on Thursday that an effort was made to restore movement of critical goods.

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