New Delhi, Feb 10 (UNI) While Opposing the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Samajwadi Party Member Ram Gopal Yadav accused the Government of being on a selling spree.
"Only two years ago Varanasi airport was renovated at a cost of Rs 800 crore and now the biddings have been invited to hand over the operation of this airport to private operators. This government has been gradually selling all public assets but I would request the Government that before awarding any assets to private operators or disinvesting these assets, you must evaluate the current prices of those assets', he further said.
He also asked the Government to ensure that these ports are not be giving away at throwaway prices.
TRS Member Banda Prakash said that the Government should not privatise ports and in the present Bill, the workers did not have proper representation.
YSRCP and JDU Members Ayodhya Rami Reddy and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh` respectively supported the Bill while the CPI-M lawmaker Elamaram Kareem strongly opposing Bill, said “The Bill is an attempt to convert the ports into corporate entities”.
He also said that the land was acquired by State government and given to Port Trusts and by converting them into Port Authorities it will become a landlord model and the Government should have made provisions to have a say of the state.
Mr Kareem also said that this Bill did not protect employees and retired people.
Taking potshots at the Centre, RJD Member Manoj Kumar Jha said, "This government is very transparent. By reading the Bill, you can tell who is behind it”. He further said that this Bill has reduced the participation of states and did not include representative of labour unions.
Accusing the Government, the NCP Member Fauzia Khan while opposing the Bill, said that there was an example of deliberate disintegration of the federal structure in this Bill.
TDP lawmaker K Ravindra Kumar said that because of the certain lacunae, there would be problems while implementing this Bill whereas Anil Desai of Shiv Sena said that the autonomy granted in the Bill will end up privatising the ports.
Opposing the Bill, CPI member Binoy Viswam said, "There is an unseen hand and unseen brain behind this Bill and the Minister is innocent and helpless. Our land will become the land of Adani. That is why we oppose it”.
Aam Aadmi Party Member Narain Dass Gupta opposed the Bill and said Members of Parliament should be allowed to become members of port boards. "It is intended to benefit a few selected people, he added.
BSP Member Ramji Gautam said that there was no provision in the Bill for SC and ST port employees to raise their voice. "They should be represented on the Boards," he said.
Tamil Manila Congress (M) lawmaker GK Vasan while supporting the Bill, said it would be giving powers to major ports and will lead to economic development.
M Thambi Durai of AIADMK expressed his objection to the reduction in number of board members in the Bill while the last speaker on this Bill, Jugalsinh Lokhandwala of BJP said that ports must be given autonomy to ensure development. "Centre and States will continue to own the ports," he added.
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