PANAJI: With revenue sources drying up, Mormugao Port Trust is looking for ways to reduce its operational costs. After already freezing payment of allowances, the port management has now decided to initiate “stringent measures” to cut down on expenditure. Battling court directives and a clampdown on expansion plans, is struggling to meet salary payments. The closure of operations and the withdrawal of the consent to operate for SouthWest Port Limited’s handling plant has had a financial fallout for MPT. “The financial accounts and chief accounting officer have expressed concern about precarious financial condition of the port consequent to the stoppage of iron and coal handling,” deputy chairman G P Rai said on Friday. MPT officials said that the dearness allowance to be paid to employees has been frozen since February while the leave travel concession has also not been released for the last financial year. “Even salary payments will be difficult from May onwards,” Rai said. “There is a crisis situation which needs to be addressed by exercising stringent austerity measures and cutdown of non-assential expenditure and realization of revenue or dues.” On January 12, after coal operations were halted at MPT, the port issued a circular saying that all variable dearness allowance (VDA) for employees and pensioners would be paid at the VDA rates applicable for December 2017. MPT had also deferred any future increase in dearness allowance. In a fresh circular dated April 23, Rai has directed all department heads to explore all possibilities of reducing expenditure including “zero overtime” in their department and to “come out with a plan to rationalize manning scale” to avoid overtime by employees. “The decisions have affected 1,500-2,000 employees. We are planning to meet officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board and given them a representation asking them to permit operations because the pollution is not much,” an MPT union leader said. Office bearers of the Goa port and dock employees union met with South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and raised concerns over MPT’s unhealthy financial situation and the resulting problems for employees. Sawaikar reportedly promised to take up the issue and find a resolution.
The Mormugao Port authority ( MPT ) in ##dia is taking measures to reduce costs as it struggles financially following the closure of mining operations and the withdrawal of consent to operate on behalf of SouthWest Port 's ore handling plant . it has initiated " stringent austerity measure " and the port operator is struggling to pay salaries . The cutbacks have affected 1,500 to 2,000 employees , according to an MPT union leader . mining operations were suspended at MPT on 12 January .