The lorry owners in AP are worried over the increased penalties imposed by the transport department. This has led them to take the unanimous decision of stopping the export of eggs to other states. AP which is second in the country for egg export, plays a crucial role with 200 lorries transporting eggs daily to Delhi, Kolkata, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. Because of its packing, the load and the height of the lorry increases. The government is imposing a penalty of Rs 40,000 for overload. With this, the owners have decided to stop the exports.
Poultry industry faces huge loss because of AP’s decision
It can be said that poultry is also one of the major industries which provides jobs in AP. About 6 crore eggs are being produced in AP every day. Daily, 4 crore eggs are being exported to the northern states. As a result, everyday farmers in this sector collectively get Rs 20 crore eggs worth Rs 7,000 crore exported throughout the year.
Government receives Rs 400 crore as income annually from this industry. The poultry industry is now slowly recovering from the loss due to Corona. With the heavy penalties, transportation has stopped leaving farmers agitated.
How was it exported in the past?
Lorry owners generally carry more load than the prescribed limit and face penalties. In the past, they used to pay Rs 2,000 as a penalty and it was valid till the stock was unloaded, but now with such huge penalties, they have stopped the transportation. They are a worried lot as they are unable to pay instalments and banks are issuing them notices.
How it will be if it is like this?
The lorry drivers are of the view that 90 per cent of the vehicles will be off the roads if officials implement all the rules. Netizens are making fun of Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Perni Nani), who said that the decision was taken to protect the people from accidents. The decision taken by the transport department officials will have a severe impact not only on the lorry owners but also on many industries. Motorists are still demanding the government to review the decision taken by transport officials.
