The Hindu Business Line : Container terminal project — Kochi Port Trust keen on time-bound implementation

EXPRESSING happiness over the successful conclusion of the bidding process, the Chairman of the Kochi Port Trust, Dr Jacob Thomas, said the connected work of road, rail links and dredging will be taken up on priority basis to ensure time-bound implementation of the transhipment terminal project.

The Board of Trustees of the Kochi Port has approved the price bid of the Dubai Port International for 33.3 per cent revenue share of the port and forwarded it to the Shipping Ministry for further action.

According to the Chairman, the other project linked with the transhipment terminal such as SEZ, bunkering terminal, single buoy mooring, construction of cruise terminal etc will be taken on priority basis so that the planned investment of Rs 7,445 crore in the next 10 years could be made a reality to ensure the accelerated economic development of Kerala.

Meanwhile, the trade unions in the port under the banner Kochi Port Protection Committee has come out with an allegation that the over enthusiasm shown by the port management to place the matter before the Board, without giving adequate time to the trustees to study the proposal in detail gives room for suspicion.

In a letter signed by eight trade union leaders to the Chairman, they alleged that "the terms and conditions envisaged in the bid prima facie seems to be detrimental to the interest of the port and workers".

The bidder according to the terms stipulated in the bid is to secure the existing Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal. The terms and conditions of all the employees including the private labour at present employed in the RGCT had not yet been discussed with the unions, they said and added that making the existing terminal as part of BOT project is against the guidelines and principles of the Union Government with regard to the establishment of BOT project in the country. The leaders also demanded that the management to take into consideration the various important aspects including labour matters before the implementing the ICTT project to the bidder.

Refuting the allegations raised by the trade unions, the Deputy Chairman of the port, Mr A. Janardhana Rao said that all the "apprehensions with regard to the labour employed in the present container terminal were baseless and unfounded".

He said that the management has taken full care to protect the service conditions of the workers in the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal. They would require to work for 6 to 8 years with the bidders and then returned to the port management. Moreover, the workers would get a better deal than what is being enjoyed by them today, he added.