Exporters and clearing and forwarding agents based in Mahadipur, a land port located at the India-Bangladesh border in Malda district, have stopped export activities from Tuesday, alleging that a section of employees of the Customs department is harassing them and demanding money at the border.

Exporters, who demonstrated at the land port on Tuesday, demanded immediate transfer of the superintendent of Customs posted there. They will not resume export activities till their demand is met, they said.

Every day, around 250 to 300 trucks, loaded with various items including stone chips, onions, spices, fruits and food grain, are exported to Bangladesh through the border. Export is carried out six days a week, except Friday, and trucks enter Bangladesh through Sona Masjid, a land port in the Chapai-Nawabganj district of that country.

“Usually, goods worth around Rs 15 crore are exported through Mahadipur every day,” said a source.

Hriday Ghosh, the joint secretary of the Mahadipur Exporters’ Association, said that recently the state government launched the Suvidhaa app to expedite exports.

“We pay Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000 per truck, depending on the quantity of goods, to the state government for clearance. It includes all expenses for exports. However, the Customs department asks for at least Rs 500 per truck even if there is a negligible error in the form filled through the app. Even after getting clearance from the state, the Customs authorities detain our trucks unnecessarily. This adds to our expenditure and also delays the export process, because after satisfying the demands of the Customs department, only a few of our trucks can finally cross the border,” he said.

Tapas Kundu, the secretary of the Clearing & Forwarding Agents’ Association in Mahadipur, echoed Ghosh.

He said officials of the Customs department misbehave with them if there are minor mistakes in filling up the forms.

“Those at the Customs always ask us for extra money if they find even a small and unimportant error. If we refuse to pay, they humiliate us and throw away our papers. We protested earlier but there is no change in the situation. That is why we have stalled the export and want MridulNaskar, the superintendent of Customs, to be transferred from here,” Kundu said.

Contacted, Naskar denied commenting on the issue.

Another official of the department said there was no irregularity.

“Exporters refuse to pay the fees and insist that they have already paid the state government. But they should understand that the fees are collected as per norms for correcting the errors, if any, in the information in the form onSuvidhaa app,” he said.