Alipurduar, 10th August: Potato truck drivers blocked the Assam-Bengal border near Barobisha, leading to the closure of the East-West Corridor and causing a several-kilometer-long traffic jam. The blockade occurred after the administration intensified efforts to crack down on potato smuggling using fake documents, leaving many trucks stranded.
Truck drivers have expressed frustration, claiming that their vehicles loaded with potatoes were halted without explanation. The delay has caused the potatoes to start rotting, putting drivers in financial distress as many have taken loans to purchase the vehicles and the produce.
On Friday afternoon, the drivers temporarily blocked the highway to protest. District administration officials assured them that the stuck vehicles would be released on Saturday morning. However, when the situation remained unresolved, the drivers resumed the blockade on Saturday morning, further intensifying the standoff.