According to the railways, BSP is not running at its full production capacity due to shortage of raw materials such as imported coal, iron ore etc. However, Railway rakes are continuously being detained inside the plant for a long duration for want of unloading. One coal rake loaded from Vizag took more than 24 hours to unload. Another coal rake from the same port is still under unloading after 38 hours.
Such poor unloading performance affects availability of rakes not only for BSP but for other railway customers also. Railway has imposed penal demurrage on Bhilai Steel Plant to incentivise faster unloading. The plant is liable to pay crores of rupees to railways for detaining its rakes beyond free time.
