'Clear encroachment within 15 days or face action'
Palemar also directed the Port officials ensure that the Port land is not allotted for activities other than those connected to Port.
During his surprise visit to Port Office here on Tuesday, Palemar inspected the documents of the department and also addressed problems of the people who had complained to him against the Port Officials.
One of the local businessman drew Palemar’s attention to the issue of shanties being put up on Port land near Old Bunder by migrant workers from Tamil Nadu. Taking serious note of the same, Palemar said that recently a murder had taken place in the same area but yet the Port officials are not waking up to the seriousness of the situation.
The Port officials were taken to task by the Minister for their ignorance as the officials failed to answer the questions pertaining to the extent of port land in the district, areas leased out, encroachment and number of staff working in the department.
However, going through the records, the officials informed that Old Mangalore Port has a total of 516.80 acre land, which includes 94.30 acre in the main land, 29.25 acre in Ullal and 393.25 acre in Bengre. They said that revenue department has handed over rights to Old Port users for 154.48 acre in Bengre. Another two acre has been handed over to Coastal Security Police unit. Officials informed that there are 24 port users who have taken 3,25,398 sqmt port land on long lease. Apart from this, a total of 750 persons have taken port land for running various activities.
A sum of Rs 1,12,95,950 has been collected as revenue during 2009-10. The office handled 76,944 metric tonne of exports to Lakshadweep and collected total revenue of Rs 44,19,941 from the same. A total of 102 posts have been sanctioned for the Mangalore Port Office of which only 31 posts have been filled.
Palemar said that though allotment of the port land for port activities to applicants is the job of the Port Officer, several applications are forwarded to him for recommendations. Taking a serious note of this, Palemar said that the officials should do their duties properly and stop dragging the Minister into such works.
“No applications should be forwarded to me for recommendations in future,” he said and added that there are complaints with regard to occupants of port land either leasing it out to other parties or using the land for purposes other than port activities. He asked the officials to control misuse of port land.
Jetty visit
Later visiting the Old Port jetty, Palemar took exception to the poor maintenance of the area where tonnes of sewage and waste were seen dumped in water. He ordered the Port Officials to clear off the effluent by Wednesday evening.
Palemar said that the Jetty construction at Old Port is a one year project, being taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 9.66 crore. As of now works of about Rs 3 crore has been completed. Rs 1.73 crore has been released so far.