Withdraw or face decisive action

BALASORE: With the matter in Supreme Court and the Centre virtually washing its hands off, a quick solution to the Kolkata port expansion move seems unlikely.After a high level meeting in New Delhi failed to take a decision, BJD MLA Ananta Das on Friday threatened to disconnect the Haldia-Paradip crude oil pipeline that passes through four districts of the state if the port notification is not withdrawn.Das claimed he is in touch with all 13 MLAs and two MPs of undivided Balasore district to decide the future course of action. However, Das said they will discus s the ma t t e r wi th Chi e f Minister Naveen Patnaik and go by his instruction.Coming down heavily on the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) which has issued notification expanding its territorial reach up to Orissa waters, Das said this is a plot to destabilise mega industries in Orissa and intercept the smooth operation of the ships coming to India’s deepest Dhamra port.He questioned the KoPT move stretching its territorial limits till Kanika Island where the port has intended for transloading the dry bulk cargo for its inability to handle big ships because of lack of draft.The proposed limit clearly encroaches into the already notified limits of Bichitrapur, Subarnarekha mouth, Bahabalpur, Inchudi, Chandipur in Balasore district and Chudamani port in Bhadrak district.The overtly expansion of KoPT effectively forecloses the future expansion of these proposed ports.Meanwhile, the KoPT authorities have moved the Supreme Court demanding withdrawal of PILs filed in the Orissa and Calcutta High Courts. The apex court will hear the petition on June 6.KoPT has recently revised the port limits to extend 200 km towards south of Haldia into Bay of Bengal covering an area of 28646 sqkm with the approval of the Ministry of Shipping. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already lodged a protest against the ‘illegal and unilateral’ decision.Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Srikanta Jena has also sought the intervention of Shipping Minister and demanded a recall of the notification.