Trade movement between India and Pakistan at Attari-Wagah land route continued to remain affected, with Punjab traders protesting against the “exorbitant” amount of handling charges of cargo at the newly built Integrated Check Post (ICP).
“We are not sending any truck of vegetables, or soybean extract to Pakistan (through land route) and no unloading of goods is taking place that have come from Pakistan,” Amritsar based trader Mr Anil Mehra told PTI over phone on Monday.
With trading activity being hampered at Attari-Wagah land route, over 150 trucks carrying soybean extraction, meant for Pakistan, have lined up at the outer part of the Amritsar city, traders said.
Custom officials said no truck has crossed over to Pakistan through land route since April 27, though a few trucks carrying cement and gypsum from Pakistan have arrived.
“But Indian traders are not taking the delivery of cement and gypsum that have been imported from Pakistan,” a Custom official said.
Punjab traders further said Pakistan based traders have also extended their support to their cause.
Union Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram had inaugurated the ICP on April 13 which was built at a cost of Rs 150 crore.
The new ICP, which boasts of dedicated terminals for passengers and cargo, customs and immigration facilities, is poised to boost bilateral trade between the two nations.
According to traders, the handling charges at new ICP is over 40 per cent more than what they were paying at old check post. Importers and exporters are now being charged Rs 200 per truck as entry fee, in addition to ground rent and higher labour charges.
Dubbing the levy of “several charges” on cargo movement at ICP as serious bottleneck in economic ties between India and Pakistan, Punjab-based traders said if the new rates are not lowered then trading activity between both countries would be severely affected.