Trade unions want level playing field

Prominent national level leaders of dock worker unions have intensified the pitch for removal of´regulator raj´ to ensure a level-playing field to compete with the non-major ports.

Eleven Major Ports in the country which are under the Ministry of Shipping are being governed by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) while the non-major ports, which are slowly cornering a major chunk of cargo handled by Major Ports due to the Centre´s priority to roll out a red carpet to non-major ports (also called minor ports), are at freedom to fix their tariff.

An official estimate revealed that out of 187 minor ports which are at various stages of construction, a total of 87 are under operation.