Discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on handing over the Eastern Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port to India have concluded unsuccessfully and in a deadlock, trade unions said.
A discussion between representatives of the Ports Trade Unions and President Rajapaksa was held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday afternoon (13).
Reportedly, 12 trade union representatives of the Colombo Port had participated in the discussion.
However, trade union representatives have claimed that the discussion with the President ended without a proper solution.
The General Secretary of the All Ceylon General Port Employees Union, Niroshan Gorakanage noted that a 51% stake of the ECT should be with the Ports Authority and the balance 49% is to be vested in the private sector.
However, emphasising the Unions want the government to retain 100% ownership with the Ports Authority, they reiterated they will not budge on this decision.
Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), General (Retd) Daya Rathnayake said that the government had not taken a decision to hand over the ECT to India.
He said that the former 'Yahapalana' government had signed an agreement with India and that the current administration had appointed two committees to study it.
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