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Operations at the Old Mangalore Port were affected on Tuesday as the members of the Old Mangalore Port Users’ Association went on a strike. They were demanding the appointment of the surveyor of vessel at the port.
Barring the sailing out of a passenger vessel carrying citizens of Lakshadweep to the island, no other vessel operation took place at the Old Mangalore Port on Tuesday.
The members of the association sat in a protest in front of the Port Officer’s office at Old Mangalore Port. Speaking on the occasion, Charandas Karkera, President of the association, said that since the last two months there is no officer at the port to carry out the annual inspection for the renewal of the validity certificate of vessels.
The Port Officer in-charge has not been given the responsibility to carry out vessel inspection. This has affected the operations at the Old Mangalore Port, he said. (Old Mangalore Port, an important minor port that comes under the Karnataka Government, handles cargoes meant for Lakshadweep islands.)
Harish Kava, member of the association and vessel owner, said that the absence of an official to inspect the vessel has affected many vessel owners. More than 20 vessels have been forced to anchor at the Old Mangalore Port due to this. The vessel owners have been forced to pay wharfage of around Rs 300 a day for a vessel for the past two months.
Some of the members of the association, who spoke on the occasion, wondered why they should pay the wharfage for the mistakes committed by the Government. The operation at the Old Mangalore Port takes place between September and May. Any impediment in the operations during the period would affect their livelihood, they said.
Meanwhile, J.R. Lobo, Mangalore (South) MLA, met the protesters at the Old Mangalore Port and asked them to withdraw their strike for two days.
When he tried to contact the Karnataka Port Minister, Baburao Chinchanasur, on mobile phone to discuss the issue, the Minister was not was not available for contact.
The MLA, who spoke to an official in the Port Department, informed the meeting that steps would be taken to carry out the survey of the vessels and a person would be deputed for this purpose.
On the demand of the port users that a surveyor of vessel should be posted in Old Mangalore Port, Lobo said the matter would be discussed in due course of time.
Some members of the association said that the lone passenger vessel to Lakshadweep, m.v. Amindivi, should not be allowed to sail out. Pacifying the members, Karkera said that advance information about the strike was not given to the crew of the passenger vessel. He said that the vessel carrying Lakshadweep residents would be allowed to sail out to Lakshadweep.
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