The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port to hold talks with Goa, Maharashtra barge owners

ABOUT a dozen barge owners of Goa and Maharashtra, including big names such as Dempo, Sesa Goa and Salgaocars, will hold discussions with the Kolkata Port Trust authorities towards the month-end to explore the possibility of making their vessels available to facilitate movement of cargo between Saugor Island and the Kolkata Dock System (KDS).

At Saugor Island the port authorities have built a virtual jetty, a sort of interface between the sea and inland water transport, at an estimated cost of over Rs 6 crore. The jetty, having an average draft of around 10 metres, can handle large vessels unable to call at the KDS because of the draft restriction in the Hooghly River.

Since virtual jetty is not a proper jetty but a sort of floating buoy, the loading and unloading there is possible through barges, and large barges at that. Unfortunately, the right types of barges are not locally available, with the result that the virtual jetty has remained virtually non-functional even though it was declared ready for operation a couple of months back.

An attempt was earlier made to bring in a few Bangladeshi barges, which evoked sharp reaction from local barge owners.

But the local barge owners do not have the kind of barges needed for undertaking the operation nor dispensation from the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD). About a dozen barges, with capacity of 1,000-1,200 tonnes, arrived from Bangladesh but they also withdrew as they did not get the necessary clearance from the authorities concerned.

Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust, told Business Line that the barge owners of Goa and Maharashtra have barges that are very large, MS type, capable of operating even in the sea. These barges, therefore, will not need the special dispensation from the MMD. "Also, we will be amenable to discuss proper terms with them."

He ruled out the possibility of the port trust itself acquiring the barges, at least for now. "It is the trade that should make use of the barges," he said, adding that the West Coast barge owners would also hold discussions with the trade, including big corporate houses such as Tata Steel, SAIL, CESC Ltd and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. "Only in an extreme situation will the port trust really consider acquiring the barges itself."

Meanwhile, the Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC), the public sector river service company, has been asked by the Shipping Ministry to suitably modify some of its barges to make them available for operation at the virtual jetty after obtaining dispensation from the MMD.

"We have urged the CIWTC to acquire, if possible, suitable vessels on charter and make them available for the operation," Dr Chanda said.