Port trusts flip-flop on plea against HBT

In a major embarrassment,the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) Friday moved a plea in the Calcutta High Court saying it wanted to withdraw its October 26

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In a major embarrassment,the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) Friday moved a plea in the Calcutta High Court saying it wanted to withdraw its October 26 writ petition seeking direction to Haldia Bulk Terminals to resume its normal cargo handling operation at Haldia dock,only to reverse its stand hours later.

After the high court allowed withdrawal of its plea,the KoPT said they would submit another plea prayer court urging recall of Fridays order.

It began with KoPT senior counsel Biswarup Gupta telling Justice Sambuddha Chakraborty that with HBT deciding not to continue operations at the Haldia dock complex,its application for a direction to the firm to resume work had become infructuous. The KoPT argued that the issue would be taken up before a different forum. Justice Chakraborty then dismissed the KoPTs writ petition as withdrawn.

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Soon after that,the KoPT in a statement said no instruction had been given to Gupta for withdrawal of the writ petition.

Legal experts said there was no possibility of HBT resuming work at berths No. 2 and 8 and both the sides could approach a proper forum for compensation or damages.

KoPT chairman Manish Jain had earlier said that HBT would have to resume work according to the agreement,or lose its equipment and crane.

HBT denies charges

Replying to allegations levelled by the KoPT,HBT CEO Gurpreet Malhi said Friday: In our two years of operation,Kolkata port has earned more than Rs 150 crore and we have brought about a three-fold increase in productivity. It said by forcing it to pull out,Kolkata port not only harmed its own image but also that of West Bengal and India. Malhi also rubbished allegations made by some politicians in Haldia that its owner ABG was staging an abduction drama to exit. When Kolkata port and the vested interests realised we would not quit,they resorted to the final low of beating up and abducting our officers,including a one-year-old child. What was the fault of this helpless child? Malhi said.