The announcement on corporatisation of major ports by converting them into companies as per Companies Act evoked strong protest by a section of the employees of Visakhapatnam Port Trust here on Monday.

Taking strong exception to transform major ports into landlord ports, workers owing allegiance to CITU-affiliated United Port and Dock Employees’ Union and Visakhapatnam Dock Workers’ Union staged a dharna in front of the administrative building of the VPT.

Both the unions had undertaken a sensitisation programme among various departments of the port during February 10-15 against corporatisation. “The UPA when it was in power and the NDA now are responsible for involving private investors in mechanisation of facilities under the pretext of competing with private ports,” United Port and Dock Employees’ Union general secretary V.S. Padmanabha Raju told The Hindu.

He wondered why the major ports were facing problem now and pointed out that the reason for their present predicament was due to allowing private ports on their neighbourhood by offering them slew of incentives.

Mr. Raju said for instance, Gangavaram Port was awarded to a private party under PPP mode by exerting pressure on Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, to alienate its land for the project ignoring the proposal by Visakhapatnam Port and VSP to develop a satellite port. He said private ports were also posing a threat to national security as several multinational players were picking up stake in the major ports.