Surat textile traders hit hard by South Indian truckers strike

Surat the largest man-made fabric (MMF) of the country and a big wholesale market for saris and dress material with the daily supply to the tune of over Rs30 crore of which four crore meters of fabric production in the city, around 25 percent goes to South India markets including Chennai, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana are hit hard following the indefinite strike called by truck owners in South India.

The strike is called to protest mainly the proposed 50% hike in the third party insurance premium.

President of Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA), Manoj Agarwal said that lorries are not going to southern states from the city. Trucks which have national permit have been diverted. All south India bound trucks and lorries have stopped also there is no movement from south India.

South India is the big market for the textile traders. They have been sending around Rs 35 crore worth of textile goods to south India states per day. The truckers’ strike has affected the business of the traders in Surat.

President of Surat Textile Goods Transporters Association (STGTA), Yuvraj Deshle said that they can’t take risk by accepting the delivery of textile goods towards the south India states and hence they have stopped taking bookings for south India.

The truckers’ strike has entered into its third day and it is going to continue till their demands are met.