The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port to offer sops to use virtual jetty at Saugor island

IN a bid to generate traffic for the virtual jetty, built off Saugor Island at a cost of several crores of rupees, the Kolkata Port Trust has decided to offer concessional rates to vessels utilising the facility.

Since the virtual jetty is not a full-fledged berth but a sort of mooring, no berth hire will be levied on vessels calling there.

More important, the port authorities have decided to waive even the mooring charge normally levied at the rate of 25 per cent of the berth hire.

The virtual jetty was readied for operation as early as February this year. However, it is lying idle since then in view of the absence of traffic.

An interface between the shippers keen to utilise the virtual jetty's facility and the barge-owners of Goa and Maharashtra was organised recently by the Kolkata Port Trust to ensure availability of high capacity sea-going barges to the prospective users of the jetty.

This was because the barges locally available being much smaller in size and capacity would not be suitable for handling the volume of traffic projected for the virtual jetty, particularly during the monsoon.

Assuming a daily throughput of 10,000 tonnes on an average and at least 200 days of operation in a year, two million tonnes of traffic could be easily generated for the jetty, it was estimated.

Despite the successful interface, as claimed by the port authorities, traffic is yet to materialise for the virtual jetty. The problem again is one of chicken and egg. The barge-owners insisted on firm cargo commitment by the prospective shippers who in turn wanted firm commitment on the availability of barges.

The barge-owners pointed out that bringing a 2,000/25,000 tonne capacity barge all the way from the west coast to the Saugor Island would cost a lot of money. Unless the cargo inducement was adequate and firm, they would not be too keen to incur the expenditure.

The firm indication of the cargo was also important for fixing the rates, it was pointed out.

On the west coast, the maximum rate the barge-owners charged was Rs 75 per tonne The rate, it was felt, could be brought down to facilitate operation of the virtual jetty depending on the cargo inducement.

Over a dozen barge-owners from the west coast and a number of shippers' representatives representing companies such as CESC, the Tatas and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and commodities traders participated in the interface.

The items identified included thermal coal, coking coal, iron ore, limestone, foods grains, logs and timbers.