HBT for additional forces at the complex to start operations

It is understood from some senior port official that Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) moved the court on Friday for fixing up a deadline for HBT to resume operations and in case HBT does not start operations within the deadline, it must face termination of contract on the basis of “relevant clauses of the agreement”. HBT, on its part, had sought deployment of more forces at the dock complex. It claims that “it has paid INR 17.50 lakh into the State Treasury on October 26 for deployment of additional forces”. According to the district Superintendent of Police (East Midnapore), the process of deployment of additional forces might be completed on Sunday. Meanwhile, on October 26 a group of retrenched workers of HBT held a demonstration at the dock complex demanding retrenchment. It is generally believed that reinstatement of the retrenched workers would help solve the problem; but HBT justified its stand of retrenchment saying that they had already absorbed “excess” workers under political compulsion.

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