I would like to relate an experience that I had recently involving LNT which was shocking to me and rang alarm bells regarding many important issues.
I booked a full truck from Navi Mumbai to Trivandrum through OM Packers and Movers, Koper Kharne, Navi Mumbai on a full truck, door to door delivery basis and was promised delivery within 5 days. My goods were loaded as a full truck load into a lorry with insurance provided mentioning the lorry no. After repeated calls due to non delivery at Trivandrum I was informed by Uttam (OM Packers Mumbai Manager) that the lorry hit a motor cyclist and there is a delay due to this. Finally the goods reached after 12 days but to my surprise it was in another truck no MH04BU 7584, not the one insured for. I was also told that a fine of Rs 2000 was levied by Check post police for exceeding height stipulations which I was asked to pay. However when unloading progressed I found a big crate under my goods. When I confronted the driver as to why he was carrying unauthorised goods in the truck fully booked by me and asked for the papers the real truth came out. My goods were unloaded at Vashi and kept in a warehouse for 5 days. Thereafter it was loaded into a truck which was first loaded with a huge crate carrying some machinery? from LNT to ISRO at Trivandrum. I could get all these details from the papers the driver showed me on threat of calling the police. The Kerala Commercial tax dept e consignment declaration at Amaravila CT check post under token no. 320000-12/60895 dt 18/7 shows 2 cosignments. First consignment under consigner TIN 27850300132 shows L&T to VSSC Tvm showing a container of value Rs 8, 79, 700.00 and another consignment of Krishna Muralidhar of household goods of nil value (not for sale). I wonder how possibly sensitive items of a defense related organisation could be transported in this suspicious manner and who is the culprit in this fraud. I am sure full cargo fares may be collected from LNT and as was done from me also. I do not know if the ISO certification shown in the site etc is a fake because though the site carries an office address at Trivandrum Uttam did not give any contact details even when I demanded for the same nor I found anybody representing that office. Apart from the blatent fraud committed on me both in terms of breach of trust and loss (lot of my goods were damaged in the transit unloading and loading and getting wet in the rains, apart from the delay) I also am worried about national security being compromised for the greed of such rapacious, unscrupulous transporters who would go to any extent to make a fast buck. I feel LNT should look into the matter and take necessary action to not only safeguard the consignements but aIso considering the sensitivity of ISRO being a high security defense organisation from a national security point of view. Moreover such unscrupulous fraudsters should be dealt with in an exemplary manner. Below a huge pile of household goods anything could be hidden and transported which could be very dangerous in the present scenario.
I trust this will be investigated and necessary action initiated to avoid untoward events bringing loss of reputation to LNT and security risk to our country.
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