Workers Federation calls for upgrading infrastructure at ports

Mangalore: The All-India Port and Dock Workers' Federation has stressed the need to strengthen infrastructure at major ports to achieve the cargo traffic target for 2006-07.


Speaking to newspersons, Mr S.R. Kulkarni, President of the Federation, said that the Union Shipping Ministry has fixed a cargo traffic target of 455 million tonnes for major ports for the current fiscal.


'The target is not in conformity with the infrastructure and other facilities available in the major ports,' he added.


Besides, the policy of the Government to encourage privatisation of port activities and development of minor ports without evaluating diversion of traffic will create hurdles for achieving the target, he said.


According to Mr Kulkarni, the policy of the Government would create monopolisation of the port activities by MNCs and create big shipping cartels.


While initiating port reforms and restructuring, the Government had issued guidelines to not allow monopolisation in the port sector.


'But today the scenario is fast changing. MNCs are being allowed to take over our strategic major ports,' he said, urging the Government to review the policy on port reforms.


Stating that the major ports in the country have been achieving greater productivity in spite of manpower shortage, he complimented the port and dock workers in this regard.


Mr Kulkarni demanded that Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL), one of the major public sector units, be revived after complying with the Supreme Court's directions in this matter.


KIOCL had contributed a major chunk to the iron ore traffic of New Mangalore Port in the last few years, he added.