Mysore/Mysuru: Tired of paying mamool to loading and unloading hamaalis (labourers) all these years, the Mysuru District Lorry Owners Association has launched ‘Jiska Maal, Uska Hamaal’ campaign (the sender and receiver of goods  should  pay) from  Aug.15, according to which lorry owners will no longer pay mamool to hamaalis, who carry out loading and unloading job.

Announcing this at a press meet here on Saturday, Association President B. Kodandaram said that this is a nationwide campaign and lorry owners have decided to stop paying loading and unloading labourers, considering the fact that lorry owners are already reeling under the burden of rising fuel prices, taxes, prices of spare parts, insurance premium hike and such other factors. 

Asserting that lorry owners are not against hamaalis, Kodandaram contended that the loading and unloading mamool, which has been in practice for decades, is now proving to be a costly affair for the owners in the midst of rising fuel prices and loss of business due to COVID-19 crisis. Maintaining that this is a campaign which has come into force across the country from Sunday, he said that it is with great pain that the lorry owners have taken this inevitable decision as they are facing  severe financial constraints due to loss of business and  exponentially rising operational costs.

Mysuru District Truckers Association President N. Srinivas Rao, who also addressed the press meet, said that the practice of paying mamool, which started with just a few rupees decades ago, has increased multiple folds over the years reaching hundreds of rupees, which has burdened truck owners. Claiming that truck owners have to shell out additional money of over Rs. 30,000 a month if they continue  to pay mamool to loaders, he said that from now onwards, lorry owners will refrain from paying mamool as a cost cutting measure. The mamool, both at the loading and unloading point, should be paid by the consignor and  consignees of goods,  he added.