Sand suppliers serve ultimatum on mahalders

Sand Stockiest & Suppliers Union, Dimapur (SSSUD), Sand Stockiest & Sand Suppliers Union, Chumoukedima (SSSUC) and Assam Sand Supply & Truck Owner Association (ASSTOA) have served an ultimatum on the sand mahalder welfare society (Bokulia) and Sand Mahalder and Supplier Association (Manja) to take necessary corrective measures and address their grievances within five days.
In a joint statement, SSSUD president Viniho Shohe, SSSUC president Khriesavilie Yhoshu and ASSTOA president Anito N Shohe cautioned that failure to address their appeal, the sand suppliers of Nagaland would have no other option but to call for total sand ban within Nagaland.
Highlighting various issues and grievances faced by the sand stockiest & suppliers of Nagaland, the signatories said that the recent hike in sand price has impaired the business of stockiest & suppliers . In addition to the hiked price, the signatories said sand stockiest & suppliers were forced to pay various charges to different unions and authorities before disposing goods at Dimapur.
The three bodies said that when the truck was allowed the ferry 600 cft the royalty was Rs. 7000. However, the signatories said that when the truck was restricted to 400 cft the royalty charges increased to Rs. 13,000, which they described was “unjustifiable”.
Further, the three bodies expressed dismay that after the truck was restricted to ferry only 400 cft, a new system has been introduced, wherein only three TP were issued per day per mohal hampering the business of the stockiest and suppliers.
They also took exception to the inspection of trucks and seizing the sand on charges of carrying more than 400 cft.
The signatories also expressed shock that illegal tax of Rs. 1000 was being collected per truck, which they demanded needed to be stopped instantly.
The three bodies also objected to stopping of truck ferrying sand after 5 p.m. and releasing only after 5 a.m., which they said was “illegal”.