SHANTARAM NAIK OPPOSES PRIVATIZATION OF MECHANICAL ORE HANDLING PLANT OF
MPT.
Shri Shantaram Naik MP, has demanded that Shipping Ministry, should
direct Mormugao Port Trust, to drop the proposal of privatization of
Mechanical Ore Handling Plant in the interest of the Port and also its
employees.
Making a Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Naik said on 15th July
2011, operations at the Mormugao Port Trust in Goa came to a standstill,
due to the call of one day strike called by the six unions operating at
the port.
He said about 1500 employees of the port protested in front of the Head
Office Building of the Port, demanding withdrawal of the proposal of the
Mormugao Port Trust of privatising Mechanical Ore Handling Plant on
Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
If the MOHP is privatized, about 650 employees will be directly
affected besides hundred of other employees who are dependent upon the
activities of the MOHP, he said.
MOHP has served the port for the last 30 years and funded all the
salaries and other financial liabilities under of the Port Trust, Mr.
Naik added.
Mr. Naik further said that there is no doubt that the MOHP requires
repairs which can be done by the MPT by obtaining loan from any of the
traditional financial institutions in the country. Further, Major Port
Trusts like Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Kandla have huge reserves and,
MPT can attempt to obtain loan from these port trusts, he said.
If the MOHP is privatized, there will be no security of job to the
existing workers. Experience has shown that private parties are inhuman
and for them nothing matters accept money, Mr. Naik contented.
As it is 70% of the Port is privatized and, if the crucial operation of
Mechanical Ore Handling Plant is privatized, it will break the backbone
of MPT, Mr. Naik added.
RELEASED FROM THE OFFICE OF
SHRI SHANTARAM NAIK
