The Hindu Business Line : Kochi Port congestion: Chamber plea to CM

THE Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the State Chief Minister to intervene in the issues being faced by Kochi Port on account of congestion, saying that the current situation will have severe and adverse backlash on the socio economic development of the State.

The Chamber Secretary, Mr Eapen Kalapurakal, in a letter sent to the Chief Minister, pointed out that the last two weeks had witnessed almost all container vessels that called at Kochi shut out export boxes due to abnormal delays in the container operations due to lack of equipments. The reasons for this is mainly due to the poor maintenance of the equipments and over working of existing ones, as there are no back up facilities.

The Chamber felt that the port should maintain the existing equipments so that the operations in the container terminal are not disrupted by frequent breakdowns. The trade has had several meetings with the port authorities wherein suggestions to improve the current situation have been made. The port in turn, has been giving assurances vis-à-vis implementation, but the conditions have only deteriorated further, he said.

Expressing concern over the move of imposing `vessel delay surcharge' by shippers, he said that it would be a severe blow to the export competitiveness, which the State could ill afford.

It is also pointed out that two major consortiums had decided to withdraw their calls from Kochi Port and instead call at Tuticorin. If conditions did not improve, the trade would be forced to look at the Tuticorin Port as a viable alternative. All of this is bad news as far as Kochi Port and Kerala are concerned, he added.

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