Paradip, Sept. 21: Local service providers opposing the Paradip Port Trust's decision to award a cargo-handling contract to a Hyderabad-based stevedore, are set to decide their course of action today.

The service providers have been on cease work for a week against the trust's decision asking users of the port to engage their own dumpers and allowing stevedores from outside the state to operate there.

"Larger interest of local service providers, dumper owners, transporters and workers are at stake. Their stubborn stand in allowing stevedoring to Seaways Private Limited has deeply hurt us. We have convened a meeting today to chalk out our future course of action," said Basant Kumar Bal, the spokesperson of Paradip Port Stevedores' Association.

"The sudden disruption of intra-port operation has led to trade loss and has given the port a bad image. There are reports of exporters and importers thinking in terms of moving their cargoes to neighbouring ports in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh," said a port official.

"Of the six vessels berthed at the port, cargo handing is continuing in five ships. One cargo-laden ship is lying stranded because of cease work by local stevedores," port trust traffic manager Damodar Nayak said.

"In coming days, things may turn problematic if the local service providers do not resume work. In a day, at least four ships are expected to be berthed and four more ships will wait at the anchorage area. The ships-in-the-waiting are being subjected to document verification and other legal and technical formalities," Nayak added.

"We have appealed to the local service providers to co-operate with the port in accordance with the Port Stevedoring Regulations, 2009, as stalemate in cargo handling operation would adversely affect the industrial and trade scenario in the state," said port trust deputy chairman N. Vaiyapuri.