Sena warns state against moving port out of city

The Shiv Sena on Saturday alleged there was a conspiracy to shift the Bombay port trust out of the city, citing the recent chlorine gas leakage as an excuse. The Sena warned the government that the party would not allow it to happen.

The Shiv Sena on Saturday alleged there was a conspiracy to shift the Bombay port trust out of the city, citing the recent chlorine gas leakage as an excuse. The Sena warned the government that the party would not allow it to happen.

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"The government has done it once in case of the mills and rendered thousands unemployed and the Sena will not allow it to happen in case of the docks," Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said.

Hindustan Times had on July 21 reported that state ports minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil had written to the Centre suggesting that the port be shifted out of the city in future as Mumbai needed more space to grow.

"There is a conspiracy to shift the dockyard and give the land to builders. Citing the gas leak as a reason, Vikhe-Patil has written to the Centre to shift the dockyard out of Mumbai," he alleged.

"The Sena will stand behind all the port workers and oppose any such move There are nearly 19,000 workers in the docks and most of them are Maharashtrians."