Leading maritime unions of the country have opposed the government's move to sell its entire stake holding of 73.47 per cent in Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) through strategic sale with management control.
Mumbai-based maritime unions, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and The Maritime Union of India (MUI), have jointly planned to organise a nationwide agitation to oppose the government move.
NUSI general secretary Abdulgani Serang said the DCI, a profit making enterprise, was serving Indian ports at low margins and also executes naval contracts.
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Privatisation of the DCI was not in the interest of the nation and the NUSI would launch an agitation if the government went ahead with its move, he said in a statement.
Privatisation of the DCI would be a huge blow to the government exchequer and dredging charges might shoot up once it is privatised, MUI general secretary Amar Singh Thakur said.
Employees of the DCI are staring at the prospects of losing their jobs, he said.
The Vishakapatnam-based DCI, a mini-ratna PSU under the shipping ministry, is engaged in the business of dredging including maintenance dredging and capital dredging at major ports of the country.
DCI CMD Rajesh Tripathi could not be reached for his reaction despite repeated attempts.
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