Paradip tense over stevedoring dispute, cops deployed

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Paradip, Aug 31:

With conflict between the stevedoring associations in Odisha’s Paradip intensifying over cargo handling at the port, Jagatsinghpur district administration today deployed as many as 20 platoon cops to maintain law and order in the town.

According to a source in the administration, the forces were deployed at restricted areas of the port after a face-off between the intra-port transports dumper unions.

Even though no major incidents of violence were reported afterwards, the deployment is seen as an attempt on part of the administration to deescalate the tension among various stevedoring organisations and avoid any untoward incident in the commercial hub.

It may be noted here that after a long dispute with Paradip Stevedores, six stevedoring organisations, led by Seaways Shipping, had formed a new association named Utkal Stevedores Association back in September 23, 2015.

The new association, however, was seen as a challenge to the monopoly of Paradip Stevedores over cargo handling and rivalry between the associations has been quite common over the ensuing period.