The supplier-realtor stand-off over carriage rates, that has held up work in Rajarhat projects for nearly a month, could be resolved by the weekend.

“We hope the supply of building materials to construction sites in New Town will resume in full swing in a couple of days,” Hidco general manager Prodyut Biswas said on Friday. Mutually-acceptable transportation fees, he added, are being worked out.

Following strict enforcement of the ban on overloading of trucks, the supplier syndicates have been seeking substantial hikes in carriage costs. The rate rise sought is around 30 per cent for ferrying stone chips, 40-45 per cent for sand and 12 per cent for bricks.

These figures were found “unreasonably high” by the developers and a couple of parleys earlier this week, brokered by local CPM leaders who urged the realty lobby to accept the hike, failed to break the deadlock. However, a softening of stand on Friday by the CPM-backed suppliers could pave the way for a truce.

“Supply has already improved, and we hope things will return to near-normality by Sunday,” said Dulal Roy, a local committee leader who presided over Tuesday’s meeting, attended by supplier syndicates and some of the developers.