MORANG: The industrialists in Morang have paid as high as Rs 350 million additional fees to the Indian side due to delay in cargo clearance from the Indian customs officials during the ongoing unofficial blockade from India.

Senior Vice-Chairman of Morang Trade Organisation Rajendra Raut said that Nepalis industrialists have already paid Rs 359 million to the Indians in a week for India officials’ failure for cargo clearance.

He said that the industrialists are supposed to pay additional late fees if the cargos were not delivered in time in the given destinations while importing goods from India and other third countries.

Nearly 700 goods-laden vehicles of third countries arriving via Kolkata port, 300 trucks carrying industrial raw materials from India and 125 petroleum tankers and 140 bullets of gas have been stranded in Jogbani of India after India imposed an unofficial blockade on Nepal.

According to Raut, the businesspersons should pay Rs 12,000 per hour for hiring a railway rack and Rs 4,000 per day for a goods-laden container. Normally, the cargo carried in the railway rack should be unloaded within first 12 hours.