Ghorahi Cement halts production

DANG, Jan 13:

Ghorahai Cement Industry (GCI) has stopped production due to protest of tipper operators.

Tippers, which supply raw materials to the cement factory, have remained off the roads for the past nine days, putting pressure on the cement and clinker producer to increase transportation charge.

“We have not been able to produce cement for the past nine days as tipper operators are not supply raw materials to the factory," an official of Ghorahi Cement told Republica.
Ghorahi Cement, which is located in Laxmipur VDC, produces Sagarmatha brand of cement.

Tipper operators have asked the industry to increase transportation charge by Rs 150 per ton to Rs 650. They say the factory has not revised transportation charge for the past one and half years.

Around 200 tippers had been supplying raw materials to the industry.

Tipper operators launched protest after the industry refused to raise transportation charge.

Ghorahi Cement sources limestone from Taapa which lies at a distance of 30 km from the industry.

“We had been demanding revision in transportation charge since long,” Bharatnath Yogi, senior vice president of Tipper Operators Committee of Dang, told Republica. “We were forced launch the strike after the industry showed reluctance to address our demand.”

Showing solidarity to tipper operators´ protest, truck operators have also stopped supplying cement and clinker manufactured by the industry to the market. Because of the protest, finished products of the industry are lying in the industry´s warehouse.

According to the Ghorahi Cement official, 32,000 tons of clinker produced by the industry has remained unsold.

Meanwhile, the protest by tipper and truck operators has affected transportation workers and employees of the industry. Representatives of industry and tipper and truck operators have held series of talks to resolve the issue. However, they are yet to resolve the issue.

"Tipper operators have been pushing for hike in transportation charge at a time when price of petroleum products is coming down. This is not logical," the official of Ghorahi Cement said.

Ghorahi Cement started cement production one year ago. It has been producing clinker for the past two years.

Source: Republica