ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha Port Workers' Protection Committee will hold a family meeting of former workers in front of the Alappuzha Collectorate on Thursday at 10.30 a.m. to press their demand for Government intervention in the revival of Alappuzha port and implementation of welfare measures for the former workers of the port.

The workers were rendered jobless following the cessation of activities at the port.

Committee secretary B. Ansary said at a press conference here that the CPI(M) district secretary P.K. Chandranandan would inaugurate the meeting. CPI assistant district secretary A. Sivarajan, DCC general secretary A.A. Shukkoor, RSP district secretary P.D. Karthikeyan and IUML district vice-president M. Kochubava would speak at the meeting.

Mr. Ansary said though the State Government signed a memorandum of understanding with EECO Environmental Consultancy Private Ltd., Mumbai, in July 2004 for the development of the port, it did not materialise.

The committee held various agitations in the past for the development of the port and the agitations had prompted the LDF and UDF Governments to take steps in this regard, Mr. Ansary said.

He said there were reasons to believe that officials did not show the sincerity to implement decisions taken by various Governments for reviving the port. Mr. Ansary said the workers hoped that the LDF Government lead by V.S. Achuthanandan would take steps to revive the port.

N.K. Gopalan, trade union leader at the port, said that nearly 400 ships used to visit the port annually during its heydays. There was a decline in the activities of the port during the early 1970s and by 1979 it stopped functioning.

A marina-cum-cargo port could be developed in Alappuzha if the authorities took an active interest.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail