The Hindu Business Line : First wheat ship reaches Kakinada

In the face of mounting opposition to handling wheat at the deepwater port and the row raging over the issue, the first wheat shipment arrived on Saturday at the new port. The cargo boat workers and the barge owners at the old anchorage port alleged diversion of cargo to the new port, affecting their livelihood.

The ship - carrying 53,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia - is being made to wait at the new port, as the Central Food Laboratory has to clear it. The clearance is expected in a day or two and then the unloading will begin.

The agitated cargo boat workers and barge owners voiced vehement protests , alleging diversion of the cargo to the new port and the Cocanada Chamber of Commerce convened a meeting to find a solution to the problem. After great persuasion, the old port workers agreed to allow handling of wheat at the new port for the single shipment.

Mr V. Veerababu, President of the Cargo Boat and Steel Barge Workers' Union, said this should become a precedent and wheat should be handled only at the old port. "We do not want to cause disruption of work at the new port for this shipment. But we will not allow any more wheat ships to be handled at the new port. The workers of the old port should be compensated even for this shipment," he said.

He said the issue would be taken to the notice of Mr M. Pallam Raju, the Union Minister of State for Defence, representing the Kakinada constituency, for an amicable settlement.

Dr B. Ramamurthy, President of the Steel Barge Owners' Welfare Association, said a writ petition had been filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and he hoped that the court would soon issue appropriate directives to the authorities to safeguard the interests of the old port workers and barge owners.

Once wheat unloading begins in a day or two, it is estimated that 10,000 tonnes will be unloaded per day and it may take five days or so to empty the vessel.

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