DMK President Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi took exception to the Centre’s proposal to enact Major Port Authority Act, saying it was only a ploy to privatise all the 12 ports, including Chennai Port, in the country.
In a statement, he recalled his statement on Oct 3 on Chennai port and the hampering of Pot-Maduravoyal elevated expressway. He had said the suspension of the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor project had given room for suspicion that it had been done to benefit the private harbour in Krishnapattinam and a new harbour conceived by Adani group in Kattupalli. The intrigue involved in bringing down public sector units to aid a few individuals will come to light in a few days.
The declining business in Chennai Port, which is the second largest port in the country , was due to traffic chaos.“It takes several days for the cargo to reach Chennai Port. In fact, DMK government launched the elevated corridor project to set right this problem, he had said pointing to diversion of business to Krishnapatnam and Ennore ports. Chennai Port handled 61.4 million tonnes of cargo in the year 2010-11 that saw a decline in the subsequent years” he had said.
As if proving what he had said according to the recent report the Centre, in a bid to privatise 12 major ports, had decided to remove them from the purview of Major Port Trusts Act. Port workers see this as a beginning of an indirect move by the Centre to privatise the ports.
Stating that all the major ports, including the Chennai Port, had been governed under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, he said the Centre was trying to privatise these ports. Recalling the indefinite strike launched by the port trust workers across the country in protest against the BJP-led NDA Government’s move to privatise the ports, Kalaignar said the Centre, in a bid to privatise the ports, has decided to change the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as Major Port Authority Act.
‘’If it was changed, all the 12 major ports in the country including the Chennai port will come under the direct control of the Central government, which in turn will easily lead to privatisation of ports in a phased manner’’, the DMK President said.
Pointing out that various trade unions have opposed this move, he said the Centre was trying to broker peace with the representatives of the trade unions. Condemning the Centre’s move, he said ‘’It will be better for the Union Government not to encourage weakening of the democratic and socialist infrastructure, instead of strengthening it. “The government may not be interested in strengthening the democratic-socialist structure of the country. But it should not take any steps that will weaken it,” he said.
In a statement, he recalled his statement on Oct 3 on Chennai port and the hampering of Pot-Maduravoyal elevated expressway. He had said the suspension of the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor project had given room for suspicion that it had been done to benefit the private harbour in Krishnapattinam and a new harbour conceived by Adani group in Kattupalli. The intrigue involved in bringing down public sector units to aid a few individuals will come to light in a few days.
The declining business in Chennai Port, which is the second largest port in the country , was due to traffic chaos.“It takes several days for the cargo to reach Chennai Port. In fact, DMK government launched the elevated corridor project to set right this problem, he had said pointing to diversion of business to Krishnapatnam and Ennore ports. Chennai Port handled 61.4 million tonnes of cargo in the year 2010-11 that saw a decline in the subsequent years” he had said.
As if proving what he had said according to the recent report the Centre, in a bid to privatise 12 major ports, had decided to remove them from the purview of Major Port Trusts Act. Port workers see this as a beginning of an indirect move by the Centre to privatise the ports.
Stating that all the major ports, including the Chennai Port, had been governed under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, he said the Centre was trying to privatise these ports. Recalling the indefinite strike launched by the port trust workers across the country in protest against the BJP-led NDA Government’s move to privatise the ports, Kalaignar said the Centre, in a bid to privatise the ports, has decided to change the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as Major Port Authority Act.
‘’If it was changed, all the 12 major ports in the country including the Chennai port will come under the direct control of the Central government, which in turn will easily lead to privatisation of ports in a phased manner’’, the DMK President said.
Pointing out that various trade unions have opposed this move, he said the Centre was trying to broker peace with the representatives of the trade unions. Condemning the Centre’s move, he said ‘’It will be better for the Union Government not to encourage weakening of the democratic and socialist infrastructure, instead of strengthening it. “The government may not be interested in strengthening the democratic-socialist structure of the country. But it should not take any steps that will weaken it,” he said.
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