The Opposition LDF staged a walkout in the Assembly on Wednesday in protest against the House adopting the Kerala Maritime Board Bill reported by the Subject Committee.
The Opposition maintained that the legislation was aimed at privatisation of seaports.
Leading the walkout during the third reading of the Bill, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and CPI leader C. Divakaran said the State Maritime Board (which was to be formed with amalgamation of the Ports Department, Kerala Maritime Society, and the Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation) would hurt the interests of the port workers and employees. They would face a situation similar to the employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
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The House later passed the Bill in the absence of the Opposition. Replying to the debate, K. Babu, Minister for Ports, said the decisions on ports development through public-private participation as well as build, operate and transfer route were the decisions of the previous Left Democratic Front government.
The government would consider problems of the workers with an open mind. Further changes to the law would be considered after getting the President’s assent for the Bill.
The Minister said the government was taking steps to develop coastal shipping. Agreements had already been signed in this respect. Kerala was the first State to offer subsidy for coastal shipping.
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Congress members V.D. Satheesan and Benny Behnan suggested that a committee be set up to examine further changes to the Bill. The definitions in the Bill were outdated and the law did not take into account the latest trends and international covenants on shipping.