Andhra Pradesh

Barge owners allege raw deal

Kakinada: The Kakinada Port Steel Barge Owners’ Welfare Association (KPSBOWA) has alleged that the State Government was developing the deep water port at the cost of anchorage port, unmindful of the fact that they are interdependent, hence due priority should be given to both if maritime trade is to flourish at Kakinada as it had been for centuries. The Government has planned to augment the infrastructure in the deep water port with an investment over Rs 1,000 crore, a sum which the anchorage port can not even dream, KPSBOWA president B Rama Murthy.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Rama Murthy said instead of providing adequate funds to improve the facilities at anchorage port, the Government was trying to stifle it by imposing undue restrictions. For instance, 11 out of the existing 26 jetties were denotified by the customs authorities recently on security grounds. As a result, cargo handling was badly affected and it had a direct impact on barges which provide direct and indirect employment to more than 10,000 people.

Mr. Rama Murthy said Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agents were utilising barges as ‘storage godowns’ by delaying the discharge of cargo like urea, thus causing congestion at the jetties. As a consequence the port authorities have proposed to restrict the number of ships that can be handled by the anchorage port. This will have a cascading effect on the barge owners and workers. It will also affect the deep water port which is heavily dependent on transportation of cargo through barges. Therefore, the government should give up its indifferent attitude to development of anchorage port.

The barge owners have agreed to increase their tonnage up to 600 tonnes per barge from 350 tonnes to meet the rising demand but the response from the Government was not encouraging as it was interested in developing the deep water port. The C&F agents could solve the problem to some extent by promptly transacting their businesses to avoid congestion at the jetties, which might convince the Government to stop diverting certain items to the deep water port.

The Government should understand the utility of the anchorage port and take steps to improve facilities and also remember that Kakinada anchorage port is only such port in the country which has workers who handle cargo round-the-clock. The future of deep water port will be secure only when the anchorage port is properly taken care of.

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