89,420 kg Kiwi Rots from Delays, Customs Told to Pay ₹50 Lakh to Ludhiana Importer
In a shocking case of bureaucratic red-tapism, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the customs department and a shipping company to pay ₹50 lakh in compensation to a Ludhiana-based importer. The reason for this hefty compensation? The importer’s 89,420 kg of kiwi fruit, imported from Chile via Dubai, rotted due to delays spanning over three months in 2023.
As per the reports, the kiwi fruit consignment was cleared by the customs department in February 2023, but it took over three months to reach the importer’s warehouse in Ludhiana. Unfortunately, by the time the kiwi fruit arrived, it had gone bad, rendering it unfit for consumption. The importer, who had placed the order in November 2022, was left with a significant financial loss due to the delay.
The high court, while passing the judgment, observed that the delay in clearance was caused by the inefficiency of the customs department and the shipping company. The court stated that the delay was an example of red-tapism being followed by government functionaries, which led to the loss of the importer’s goods.
The importer, who was not named in the report, had filed a petition in the high court seeking compensation for the loss. The court, after considering the evidence presented by the importer, ruled in his favor, ordering the customs department and the shipping company to pay ₹50 lakh as compensation.
This case highlights the importance of efficient clearance procedures and the need for government agencies to take responsibility for their actions. The delay in clearance not only caused financial loss to the importer but also raised questions about the quality of service provided by the customs department and the shipping company.
If the customs department and the shipping company had been more efficient in their processes, the kiwi fruit would have reached the importer’s warehouse on time, and the loss could have been avoided. The high court’s decision sends a strong message to these agencies to improve their performance and ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
The kiwi fruit consignment was imported from Chile via Dubai, and it is not clear why it took so long to clear the customs. It is also not known what caused the delay, but the high court’s observation that it was an example of red-tapism being followed by government functionaries suggests that there may have been some bureaucratic hurdles that prevented the clearance of the consignment in a timely manner.
The incident also raises questions about the quality of the customs clearance process in India. The country’s customs clearance process is known to be time-consuming and bureaucratic, and cases like this highlight the need for reform. The government needs to take steps to streamline the customs clearance process and reduce the time taken to clear consignments.
In conclusion, the case of the 89,420 kg kiwi fruit consignment that rotted due to delays is a stark reminder of the need for efficient clearance procedures and the importance of government agencies taking responsibility for their actions. The high court’s decision to award ₹50 lakh in compensation to the importer sends a strong message to the customs department and the shipping company to improve their performance and ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
