The operations at the Visakhapatnam main port came to a halt on Monday as the workers, stevedore agents and others went on a day's strike to express their solidarity with the public, employees and others agitating for preserving the unity of Andhra Pradesh state.
The workers, stevedore agents, steamer agents and other port users assembled at the convent junction to express their protest against the decision of the Congress Working Committee and the UPA to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and form the state of Telangana. Slogans were shouted against UPA convener Sonia Gandhi, Telangana separatist leader KCR and others.
According to G. Sambasiva Rao, president of the Visakhapatnam Custom House Agents' Association, the decision to halt work at the port for a day was taken to express solidarity with the agitating public in the coastal districts of Andhra and Rayalaseema region and to exert pressure on the Union Government to reconsider the decision.
He said the State Government employees, the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation workers and others were on an indefinite strike over the burning issue and it was felt that the port users should also express solidarity with them considering the gravity of the issue. "We want the Union Government to roll back the decision, as bifurcation of AP would have disastrous consequences for all the three regions in the State," he said.
He said 20 ships were in the berths at the port and 18 were in the roads. Approximately, 3 lakh tonnes of cargo may have been stranded at the port due to the strike for a day and the demurrages may amount to Rs 10 crores. He said the intention was not to put the trade to loss, but the gravity of the issue demanded it.
G. Pattabhiramayya, the president of the Steamship Agents' Association, and K. Krishna Kuamr, the president of the Stevedores' Association, addressed the workers.