Team Herald
VASCO: Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) chairman Dr E Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday said the MPT works in the domain of the rules and regulations laid by the Pollution Control Board authorities and has abided by them.
Kumar said he does not see the NGOs or the questions raised as a threat to MPT as NGOs are only doing their jobs as watchdogs, which only helps MPT to do good for the State.
When questioned on the objections raised by the NGOs on certain cargo transportation, Kumar said, “Mormugao Port Trust always works in the domain of the rules and regulations laid by the pollution control board authorities. We have abided by it in the past and will abide by it in the future”.
On how the Maritime India Summit, the MPT Chairman said, “Maritime India Summit’s one facet is the skill development which inherently aims at providing employment and investment into the State will obviously mean the increase in the GDP of the State directly or indirectly and also give employment opportunity. Obviously, I am sure that this will definitely help Goans and the State too”.
He said, “The whole world is in the slump now because of COVID, in such a situation it is important that we get the opportunity to conduct such events so that the world turns towards India for better investments.”
For his reaction on the objections and NGOs raising various issues on certain cargo transportation, the MPT Chairman said, “I do not see the NGOs or the questions raised are a threat to MPT. They are only doing their jobs as watchdogs, which only help us to be on our toes to better ourselves and to do good for the State”.
On Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 and people’s concerns about the bill, he mentioned that “My (Port) limits are already defined, whatever are my limits which are gazetted in the Government of India will always remain the same”.
On the Port Limits shown in draft CZMP 2021 and people’s concern over it, the chairman said, “There is nothing called as recent mapping, whatever is in the Government gazette that stands and will stand.”
When asked about the Chief Minister’s statement of cutting down the coal cargo by half, he declined to comment.
He said, “MPT will never go beyond the “CPO” that is issued by the government of Goa or the Goa State Pollution Control Board. But our efforts will always be to diversify our cargo, increase our capacity in every sector”.
