Trucks stranded at Petrapole land port on Tuesday
On Oct 26, the food minister visited the border and held a meeting with the LPAI manager and BMS netas. “Following the meeting, Kirtania announced that 78% of loading and unloading work would be allocated to BMS workers, while the remaining 22% would go to workers from other unions.
At the meeting, Thakur proposed dividing BMS workers into two groups and allocating separate shares of loading and unloading work to them,” a senior LPAI official said. “Netas close to Kirtania also questioned Thakur’s authority to divide the union and decide allocation of work,” said a union representative. Thakur said: “As a representative of Centre, I tried to resolve the problem. “Shantanu Thakur has no authority to divide the union,” he said.
Allegations have surfaced that junior Union minister for shipping Shantanu Thakur and state food minister Ashok Kirtania have been at loggerheads over control of the BMS workers’ union at Petrapole since the change of govt. “Representatives of several workers’ unions were also present. However, the dispute remained unresolved till Tuesday afternoon, with workers’ unions expressing dissatisfaction over the proposed arrangement. The announcement reportedly triggered resentment within BMS, following which Thakur intervened,” the union neta added. BMS has been divided into two groups and work has been distributed accordingly. Some people are unwilling to accept the decision but they will have to comply with it. However, BMS Nagar Committee secretary Rajib Goswami, considered close to Kirtania, strongly opposed the arrangement.
Thakur held a meeting with Petrapole Land Port manager Kamlesh Saini on Monday and reportedly directed that operations would resume from Tuesday.
However, differences reportedly emerged between the two BJP netas over distribution of work,” a party insider said. During the previous Trinamool regime, loading and unloading operations at Petrapole were allegedly dominated by the TMC-affiliated workers’ union. “Following the change of govt, BMS gradually established its control over the operations.