Post News Network
Paradip, June 3: A conscious attempt is allegedly being made to privatise Paradip port here by the Centre. It has been is learnt that the Centre is planning to divert ships coming to the port towards a private port in the state as well as the Vishakhapatnam port in the south.
The Centre’s attempt has triggered sharp resentment among various stakeholders of the port as well as among members of various trade unions affiliated to the port.
The port which is known as the economic gateway of the state also cater to the shipment demands of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh. More than 10 major industries have grown up on the east coast depending on the port which is now the second biggest in the country in terms of cargo handling and transportation
A full-proof plan has been readied to downsize the port bit by bit which has been further reinforced after several senior Oriya officers were transferred from here and outsiders were brought in and appointed at various senior positions of the port.
These include the post of chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, transport manager, chief engineer, engineers, deputy conservator and the chief medical officer indicating a complete overhaul in the management of the port administration.
The allegations of privatisation is not entirely baseless as the port which was always on an upward growth path during last 20-25 years suddenly went on a downslide with the berths remaining empty always and no new cargo laden ships entering the port.
The BJP-led government at Centre appointed four political persons as members of public interest trustee of the trust board. The newly-appointed members have neither expertise nor experience to run an established port like Paradip port, alleged Paradip MLA and state cooperation and excise minister Damodar Rout. Port users are of the view that appointment of these four persons will only hinder the prospects of the port as they will never be able to lend credible service to the growth of the port.
Moreover, the traffic system in the port has completely collapsed. The port management has deployed 368 dumpers for internal transportation while more than 700 trucks are daily entering the port with cargo taking the total number of vehicles to 1100. With a rise in the number of vehicles there is no systemic traffic scheme for movement of these vehicles while the management is trying to employ 200 more vehicles in the port, alleged trade union leader Bibhuti Ranjan Panda.
Moreover, the management completely ignoring the interest of labourers and employees has granted permission to more than five South Indian companies to work as port users.
When contacted, acting chairman MT Krishna Babu tried to downplay the allegations and said every port in the country is experiencing a downslide
