90 trucks set off from Siliguri

Siliguri, June 13: About 90 trucks loaded with essential commodities and vegetables left for the hills this afternoon as the situation in Siliguri returned to normality after yesterday’s bandh.

The trucks left Siliguri after 2pm even though the goods were being loaded into the vehicles uninterruptedly at the regulated market and the wholesale market since morning. Police pickets were posted at both the places.

Yesterday, bandh supporters had closed down both the markets.

“About 40 trucks have left for the three hills subdivisions from here,” Tapan Saha, the general secretary of the Regulated Market Merchants’ United Forum, said. Omprakash Agarwala, the secretary of the Siliguri Merchants’ Association, said 50 trucks set out for the hills from the wholesale market at Khalpara today.

The traders suffered losses worth crores of rupees in the past few days because of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha bandh in the hills and the bandh in Siliguri called by the Amra Bangali and other organisations.

The resumption of supplies to the hills followed a meeting district magistrate Rajesh Pandey had with the traders, police and members of the Amra Bangali and other outfits last night. In the meeting, the traders were assured of escorts in sending their goods to the hills.

Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya also made an appeal. “I, on behalf of my party, have requested the administration to restore the supply line to the hills from here,” said Bhattacharya, who is also the convener of the district Left Front.

Traders in the hills appeared happy with the relaxation of strike.

“After three days, I have been able to take the goods to Kalimpong and hope this will help the people living there,” Kamal Agarwal said in Siliguri before leaving for the hill town.

Suraj Kalikotey, a truck-owner from Sonada in Kurseong subdivision, said he had been incurring losses every day that he could not come to the regulated market because of the strike.

“I can earn at least Rs 1,200-1,500 in a single trip if I can run my vehicle,” Kalikotey said.