The Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India has accused the Government of making attempts to do away with the Major Ports Trusts Act, 1963, in order to allocate valuable port lands to private companies and corporates.

T. Narendra Rao, the general secretary of the federation, said here on Thursday that the Centre had begun the consultation process on the Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2015, from the key stakeholders to achieve the objective. He was here to take part in National Demands Protest Day programme. The unions staged a demonstration here in front of the Visakhapatnam port on Thursday.

He said the 12 major ports in the country own 2.7 lakh acres of prime land. He said the Mumbai Port owned one-eighth of lands and buildings of the commercial capital of India. Kandla, Kolkata-Haldia and Visakhapatnam also own prime properties. The Major Ports Act allows the ports to give its land to private parties only on 30-year lease. Outright sale is strictly prohibited.

He said now the auditing was being done by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, and it could be done by private chartered accountants according to the new bill, giving scope for manipulation. He said the bill had not mentioned anything about the security of thousands of employees and pensioners.

Narendra Rao said all the major trade unions had conveyed their concerns to the Ministry of Shipping over the implications of the bill and, if the Centre went ahead with repealing the old Act, it would be opposed tooth and nail.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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