Ashok Leyland continues to await the shipment signal from United Nations, after bagging an order to supply 3,322 trucks to Iraq some months ago. The order is being funded under the UN-sponsored oil for food programme.

The delivery of the cargo trucks, however, has not been facilitated because normalcy has yet not returned to that country.

Infrastructure facilities like ports to receive the cargo have not been made functional yet and a system is yet to be put into place where the transfer of trucks from India to Iraq can be made possible.

Ashok Leyand officials said that the vehicles are ready and can be shipped to Iraq at short notice.

However, there are no clear indications when the necessary arrangements will be made in that country so that the trucks can be sent there.

The transfer of the trucks will take place through the Office of the Iraq Programme of the UN.

The OIP has advised Indian suppliers not to ship goods unless they received specific instructions from the relevant UN agency.

"This is the largest order for an Indian company for reconstruction of Iraq under the oil for food programme. The vehicles are ready and will be shipped to that country as soon as facilities are made available there," Ashok Leyland managing director R Sheshasayee said.

Ashok Leyland officials told Business Standard that the proposal to send the cargo trucks to Iraq began even before the regime there was overthrown by coalition forces, but the company has been informed that the port is still not operational.

"As far as payment for the trucks is concerned, it will be made through the UN," an official said.

It may be stated that Ashok Leyland also supplied 100 buses to Afghanistan last year as part of the reconstruction programme in that country.

It also supplied 16 buses to Seychelles last year and is in the process of supplying another 64 more this year.

Besides, it has a sizeable presence in Sri Lanka, Dubai and Bangladesh and plans to export vehicles to the Latin American and ASEAN countries as well.