Textile transporters want time to shift godowns from Surat

Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had asked textile transporters to move out their godowns in the city by June 15 or pay up a pre-decided rent. It suggested transporters move out to a space reserved for logistic park, but the former does not have any interest in the SMC's proposal which aims at ending the prevailing traffic chaos in the textile markets.
Surat Textile Goods Transporters Association (STGTA) has asked for two years time even as the strike by the textile transporters entered its sixth day on Sunday. SMC estimates nearly 600 transporters occupy 1.5 lakh square meter of land in the city creating traffic congestion. The city has 165 textile markets which house about 70,000 textile shops. Ramadan and Eid will expectedly bring business worth Rs3,000 crore to the city. Majority of the traders don't want to lose out on the business opportunity and thus have turned to Indian Railways to transport their goods to different parts of the country.
Municipal commissioner Milind Torwane said, "We had asked them to move out to another place by June 15 or pay up a monthly penalty of Rs25 per sq feet. There are many logistic park reservations in every plan. They should take benefit of Government of Gujarat's new industrial policy of 2015 which gives 25 per cent subsidy on capital investment up to Rs 15 crore. Transporters must move to a reserved place like the one near the Udhna railway yard."
A STGTA team went to see the space at Kadodara on Sunday but demanded two years time to shift. STGTA president Yuvraj Desle said, "SMC officials are indulging in double-talk. We need at least two years time to move out from here. This exercise to move us away from the prime land is motivated. If the administration doesn't listen to us, we will be forced to intensify our agitation."