Joda/Keonjhar: Global Positioning System (GPS) has gone out of order across the state, severely affecting mineral transport in Keonjhar district, while the government and mines owners are losing huge amount of revenue, a report said.
Installation of GPS devices in transport vehicles was introduced from October 1, 2016. Seven agencies were awarded contracts to supply GPS devices. The devices have been attached with over 56,000 trucks in 14 mining circles of the state. About 16,000 trucks and tippers in Joda and Keonjhar were tagged with GPS. The device fixed in vehicles enables the government to track mineral transport through the Odisha Space Application Centre.
However, with GPS remaining defunct, several trucker and tipper owners’ associations have warned of agitation. They alleged that though they had apprised the state government and the mining department of their plight, no corrective measures were taken up till date.
Participants at an emergency meeting of transporters’ associations held here Thursday brainstormed over the loss caused by GPS malfunctioning.
Rabinarayan Das, president of Joda truck Owners’ Association, said all mineral transporters have fixed GPS devices in trucks and other heavy vehicles for one and a half years after the state government made their use mandatory.
“GPS has gone out of order thrice. Once the GPS goes out of order, it will take at least 10 days to tag the vehicles. The result is that vehicles will remain idle for 10 days. Halt of mineral transport will naturally affect the revenue of the mines owners and the government,” Das pointed out.
“We have made written complaints to the government, but they yielded no results. A week’s time has been given to fix the problem. If the government fails to act within the time, all trucks and tippers engaged in mineral transport will stop operations,” he said.
Jayant Behera, joint secretary of Joda Truck Owners’ Association, said all mineral transporters have fixed GPS devices in their vehicles with their own funds after the state government made their use mandatory for maintaining transparency. “The mines department had recommended fixing of GPS of a particular company, but the services were of poor quality. For this, the system is going out of order, leaving scores of transporters jobless,” Behera said.
He alleged that there is an unholy nexus between the mines department and the GPS service provider.
“The price of a GPS device is Rs 3,500, but truck owners were made to cough up Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per unit,” alleged Babulal Sahu, a truck owner. This is a huge scam, Behera alleged, demanding a high-level probe into the matter.
“The truck owners will meet the mines minister and the director of mines Friday. If the problem is not sorted out within three days, all transporters will resort to ‘chaka jam’ strike,” he warned.
PNN