The development plan proposed by the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has been vehemently opposed by dock unions and a few trustees. Their main objection was that the land meant for port activities would be commercially used for profit-making business.
“The port activities are necessary to get revenue and also foreign exchange. Mumbai has this natural port and once handled containers upto six million tonnes. It has been handling operations since the British era and considered as one of the oldest ports. Now that the port operations are reduced, the government is eyeing the land to exploit it commercially. We are opposing the proposal as the dock workers or common men in the city are not going to benefit from such development,” S.K. Shetye, president of Mumbai Port Trust, Dock and General Employees Union said.
Pointing at discrepancies in the plan, Mr Shetye said, “The Marina activity has been proposed at Princess and Victoria Dock. It was used for dry dock activities like repairing boats earlier. However, it was closed down by filling up the area and crores of rupees went spent for that. Now the same area will be dug to have boating and all facilities. Also, offshore container terminal was built in the sea and now there are no containers.”
Sudhakar Apraj, the trustee of the Mumbai Port Trust, said the government has not considered development of its workers in the plan. “The proposal has said to develop slums in the area but does not talk about giving houses to the dock workers who have been staying here for generations,” Mr Apraj said. The dock once had 40,000 workers but now has only 10,000. He added private players would be roped in on lease to make the said development.
The MbPT has also ignored suggestions by a report prepared by the Mumbai Port Trust Land Development Committee (MLDC) chaired by former MbPT chairman Rani Jadhav. The committee has said in the report that if the land along the eastern coast is freed then 30 per cent can be used for open spaces, 25 per cent for public transport, 5 per cent for social amenities and 30 per cent commercial activities.
