BHUBANESWAR: A serious unrest is building up in Paradip Port with stakeholders from port workers to stevedores to transporters raising a banner of protest against the actions of the authorities.
The arbitrary decisions by Paradip Port Trust (PPT) authorities, particularly chairman in-charge MT Krishna Babu, have not only affected operations but more importantly have begun to threaten the very existence of the second best port in the country, representatives from as many as six stakeholder associations and trade unions said here on Sunday.
Drawing up a whole list of charges, the associations including Paradip Port Stevedores Association (PPSA), Dumper Owners’ Association (DOA), Heavy Equipment Association (HEA), Paradip Port Workers Union (PPWA), Paradip Industrial Workers Association (PIWA) and Paradip Ersama Industrial Workers Association (PEIWA) have written to Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking an appointment to apprise him of the worsening situation.
The decision to mechanise unloading from wagons has fuelled massive resentment among thousands of labourers while restrictions on transportation have begun to have a negative impact on the port with importers and exporters diverting cargo and ships to other nearby ports owing to rising costs here, they alleged.
“The situation can well be gauged from the fact that Paradip Port, which had waiting time for ships to get a berth for not less than nine days only some months back, today has only one ship berthed in the entire port,” PPSA president Mahimananda Mishra told mediapersons here.
Several illegalities by the port authorities have come to light with the bench of Chief Justice DH Waghela of Orissa High Court not only quashing the award of an additional Harbour Mobile Crane (HMC) in contravention of the tender but also drawing inference to underhand dealings in the move, he said.
Things have, however, come to a head now with the PPT Chairman allowing an Andhra Pradesh-based stevedore company Seaways Shipping to handle traffic as well as outsource dumpers from outside without using the existing port transporters.
There are 35 stevedoring licence holders at Paradip Port and new members will be most welcome when they bring in new business. Seaway is not a member of PPSA nor does it bring new business. It is rather encroaching the existing business of the Association members. Further, it has been allowed to use outside dumpers which has seriously affected the port transporters.
“Paradip Port has a history of violent unrest. In 1987, several people including the then inspector in-charge of Paradip police station lost their lives in the unrest. Ever since, stringent principles were laid and followed by various associations and trade unions. Not a single man-day loss has been reported till date since but the situation is taking serious turn now due to the recent developments,” Mishra said.
Already the unrest has begun to surface with stoppage of work by the dumper association following alleged high-handed action by the bouncers employed by the outsider company with support of the Chairman, he alleged.
Among others, Dharmaditya Patnaik of PPSA, Bapi Sarkhel of PEIWA, general secretary of PPWA AK Das, Ullas Swain of PIWA, vice-president of HEA PK Nandi and president of DOA Bijay Nayak were present.
