To deliver goods, textile traders bypass Surat transporters

Surat: As the textile transporters' strike entered its sixth day, many traders have started hiring transporters from Bharuch, Vapi and Ahmedabad to deliver goods to Delhi and other parts of the country.
Textile traders said that the orders for Ramadan and Eid festival are placed by the buyers well in advance. These include designer burkha, kurtis and salwar kameez.The transporters have decided to go on indefinite strike at wrong time and thus the traders are forced to think of alternative arrangement in order to save themselves from huge losses.
Industry sources said that the dress material manufactured for the Eid was different altogether. The colours of the fabrics are very bright, studded with tikkis and heavy embroidery work.
The Muslim women prefer bright and shining colours. However, if the traders will not sell the fabrics during this time, they would incur huge losses.
Chairman of SGCCI's textile committee, Devkishan Manghani said, "Most of the traders have approached Ahmedabad-based transporters to supply their goods to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc. Compared to Surat, the traders have been paying heavy transport charges. Their profits have shrunk to less than 8%, but still they do not want to incur huge losses sitting on the goods."
There are 165 markets housing more than 70,000 textile shops. The Ramandan and Eid attracts business to the tune of over Rs 3,000 crore.
Manghani added, "Most of the traders have turned to the railways for supplying their goods." S K Yadav, area railway manager said, "The parcel inquiry from the textile industry has increased in the last few days. The traders have been supplying goods through railways due to the indefinite strike called by the transporters."