Alleging that the Central Government was causing “financial burden” to the VOC Port Trust by forcing it to invest Rs. 400 crore in the proposed Enayam harbour and crippling its development for the proposed seaport, members of various trade unions staged a demonstration here on Friday.
The protesting trade union activists said, the Union Government, which was planning to create a seaport at Enayam was forcing the VOC Port and Ennore Port to invest Rs. 400 crore each and the Chennai Port Trust Rs. 200 crore.
Even as the VOC Port could not commence the much-awaited inner and outer harbour development projects for want of funds, the “additional burden” would cripple the functioning of the seaport badly.
“Though the Central Government had announced in 2013 the implementation of inner and outer harbour developments on an outlay of Rs. 23,500 crore, it had been shelved indefinitely due to non-allocation of funds. This is mainly due to diversion of funds for creating the new harbour at Enayam. Moreover, the Centre is compelling the VOC Port administration to divert Rs. 400 crore to the new project, which will seriously affect regular hassle-free functioning of the port,” warned C. Subramanian, VOC Port Administrative Committee member.
Representatives of various trade unions participated in the demonstration organised near the harbour administrative office.
