Hundreds of workers of Visakhapatnam Port staged a demonstration in front of the administrative building here on Tuesday to protest against tabling of Major Ports Authority Bill in Parliament.
In response to a call by CITU-affiliated United Port and Dock Employees' Union, the workers raised slogans against the NDA Government saying the bill would lead to corporatisation of major ports.
Union general secretary V.S Padmanabha Raju said the NDA government had introduced the Bill to replace Major Ports Act 1963, to weaken major ports, sell away their valuable properties and corporatise the ports.
He said the major ports in the country were in possession of a huge chunk of land admeasuring 73,000 acres. “The adoption of the bill will lead to handing over of the lands to the corporates. Already, a lot of private investment has been brought into the major ports under the PPP mode and the Government now wants to subvert the PSU ports further,” Mr. Padmanabha Raju alleged.
Mr. Padmanabha Raju said the new legislation would also enable the ports to park their funds in private sector banks jeopardising the interest of the government and the workforce. He asked all to oppose the move.
Memorandum submitted
Later, a memorandum was submitted to the port chairman.
