CITU State (Andhra Pradesh) general secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao has refuted the statement issued by the Gangavaram Port management on August 8 that though there were delays in payments by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), there were no delays in provision of cargo handling services by the port.
Addressing a media conference, in Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday, Mr. Rao also ridiculed the statements of the port management that the Adani Group has no interest in the privatisation of VSP. He said that the VSP had imported coking coal, worth ₹1,000 crore from the U.S. and Australia in July. Two of the vessels, which had arrived on July 16, should have been allotted berths at Gangavaram port, within 24 hours. “It was an open secret that they were not given berthing facilities till July 18,” he alleged.
The steel plant was giving the maximum profits to Gangavaram Port through its raw material imports. Though the port was in close proximity to the steel plant, the management was hiking the tariff by 5% every year. He demanded implementation of old tariff to reduce the burden on VSP.
