KOCHI: Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India has come down heavily on the Union government’s move to privatise Dredging Corporation of India (DCI).
In a letter to the Prime Minister and Shipping Minister, the federation appealed to the Centre to refrain from the move. The government had claimed that it would be able to realise around ₹1,400 crore from the sale of government holding in DCI. However, DCI is in a strong position now with 12 trailing suction hopper dredgers and three cutter dredgers along with ancillary vessels. DCI has been a strong competitor to other companies involved in dredging operations, the letter said.
“It is obvious that the government’s decision is neither to protect the interests of the country nor those of the port sector,” alleged a statement issued by the federation here.
It also warned the government that it might not be feasible or advisable to depend on private firms after selling off DCI.
‘Hasty decision’
Sources said the public sector DCI was associated with at least eight major ports and private ports as well as the Southern Naval Command.
“The government’s decision is hasty. We fear it will pave the way for cartelisation of private Indian and foreign dredging firms to loot major ports,” the federation said.
For the record, DCI had a big role in the building of the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam operated by Dubai Ports World as a BOT project under an agreement with the Cochin Port Trust. The federation also said that at a time when private firms had abandoned dredging work, it was being awarded to DCI.
