The Hindu Business Line : Trade unions oppose plan to set up maritime board

LEADERS belonging to different trade unions here have opposed the proposal of the Andhra Pradesh Government to create a maritime board to manage the minor ports in the State; Kakinada anchorage port being the most important.

(The deepwater port in Kakinada, with three berths, is being managed by a private consortium.)

The leaders expressed their opinions at an open session conducted by the Sambamurthy Institute of Development Studies, an NGO, here.

Mr V. Veerababu, of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, questioned the propriety (and necessity) of forming such a board as the deepwater port here and the minor ports coming up at Ganagavaram and Krishnapatnam had already been placed in private hands.

"Therefore, the anchorage port here alone will be affected by the decision of the State Government. We suspect foul play," he alleged.

Mr K. Krishna Rao, of the AITUC, and Mr. D. Seshu Babji, of the CITU, described it as "a covert attempt to divert the traditional cargoes reserved for the anchorage port to the new deepwater port."

They said all such attempts would be resisted and the two unions would strive to safeguard the interests of employees and workers of the old port.

Mr Srimannarayana, the leader of the Port Employees' Co-ordination Committee, said a port trust should be constituted to manage and develop the port instead of a board.

Several others spoke opposing the proposal. However, Mr T. Srinivasa Rao, Secretary of the Sambamurthy Institute of Development Studies, supported the proposal, with the rider that the State Government should incorporate a clause giving an assurance to the employees that their service conditions would not be altered.

Citing the example of China, Mr Srinivasa Rao said such autonomous boards were necessary for development of minor ports.

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