For sake of ‘Inam’ porters suspend Indo-Pak trade consecutively for six days at ICP

ATTARI: Suspending conventional ritual of doling out ‘dala’ by truck drivers to the porter unions has stalled the multi-million foreign trade for past six days through India’s only Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari after as many as 1433 porters refused manual loading and unloading of goods at ICP.
“Dala is our right, it is a tradition practiced ever since porters first started working at Attari border,” said one of porters union president Lakhbir Singh while talking to TOI on Monday.
Explaining dala, he said “dala is a voluntary amount given by driver to the porters out of contentment or happiness after loading or unloading of his truck and it is fixed for Rs 300 to Rs 500 per truck depending upon its size and the amount goes to the respective porters union”.
Deputy Commissioner, Customs, ICP, PS Gill confirmed that there had not been any foreign trade since June 22nd.
While stating that they wouldn’t call off their strike unless their demand of dala was not met, Harbhajan Singh, another president of porters union said, “This is our source of income. You can’t stop the traditional practice It is our right and we will continue our strike”.
Sources seeking anonymity informed TOI that a few local politicians enjoying backing of a strong business lobby had raked up the issue of suspension of dala which irked the porters and they went on indefinite strike suspending Indo Pak trade.
On the other hand, drivers are not ready to resume practice of giving dala to porters.”Porters are getting their usual labour. This is just an ‘inam’ which we don’t want to give anymore,” said a driver, Amarjit Singh, who is waiting for loading of his truck for past seven days.
Similarly, another truck driver Mohinder Singh said, “It is unjustifiable demand of porters. Thankfully, this evil, forced mandatory practice, has come to an end. There is no question of dala anymore,” he said.
Porter’s representatives and officials of Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), custodian of goods at ICP, were holding meeting till the time of filing of this report.
Despite several attempts manager,CWC, Naveen Kumar couldn’t be contacted for comments.