Nokkukooli still scowls at sand customers

THRISSUR: Though the state government has been initiating stringent measures to curb the ‘nokkukooli’ menace, it still continues to torment the customers, but under different names.For example, the head-load union workers operating on the banks of Bharathapuzha collect approximately `35 crore as nokkukooli in a month from the sand customers.Despite the government’s declaration that collecting nokkukooli was against the law, it is being done under various names such as ‘chayakashu’ (tip for tea) and ‘chavittuirakku kooli’ (money for pushing down the sand on the truck).At present, a customer has to pay an additional `2,000 to `2,500 as chavittuirakku kooli. Earlier it amounted to `4,000 to `5,000, but was being collected under the name chayakashu.Notably, it was being paid even after remitting the mandatory charge of ` 4,750 per load in the state treasury. In fact, nearly half of the amount one remits in the treasury was go to the hands of head-load workers as their wages, and besides this, they have been fleecing the poor customers in the name of ‘chavittuirakku kooli’.Apart from these extra charges, one has to pay various other charges like contribution to union fund and ‘vazhikashu’ (tax for road) to get free one load sand from the kadavu, said Joby, a customer.In a complaint to the District Collector, Ouseph Sebastain of Puthur said if one is not willing to pay these charges, they will delay the loading process, which will adversly affect the truck owners.He also demanded the Collector to take immediate action to curb the menace.