The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata may add 6 mt throughput this fiscal

IF the present trend is any indication, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is to end the current fiscal (2005-06) with a total cargo throughput of over 52 million tonnes (mt), comprising more than 41 mt at Haldia dock and another 11 mt or so at the Kolkata Dock System (KDS). In 2004-05, the port handled 46.2 mt (Haldia 36.3 and KDS 9.9 mt).

Giving this information here today, the Chairman of KoPT, Dr A.K. Chanda, told the members of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce that the net addition of an estimated six mt of traffic in one year would be the highest among all major ports in the country. In terms of percentage also, the growth would be highest at 17 per cent as compared to the national average of 12 per cent of so.

"Till January, the port handled a total of 43 mt and, judging by the trend so far, adding at the rate of 4.5 mt per month in February and March should be no problem," Dr Chanda observed, adding, "with a traffic figure of 52 mt, we would be adding 22 mt in past four years, something very spectacular".

Financially also, as he pointed out, the port was set to post record net profit - an estimated Rs 350 crore (Haldia Rs 300 crore and KDS Rs 50 crore). In 2004-05, the net profit amounted to Rs 185 crore (Haldia Rs 232 crore, while KDS posted a net loss of Rs 47 crore). "KDS will be posting net profit perhaps for the first time," he said.

The KoPT Chairman attributed the improved performance of the port to several factors such as the rationalisation of tariffs, ranging from a low of 20 to as high as 80 per cent, improved efficiency through mechanisation of operations and positive response of various other agencies to correspondingly rationalise their charges and improve performance.

Potential river port: Dr Chanda, however, felt that the port was yet to explore its real potential as a river port. Kolkata always catered to the requirement of ocean-going vessels. Only recently did it start to offer facilities for the inland water transport trade and the experience had been rewarding. "In the current fiscal, we hope to handle an estimated 0.5 mt of IWT traffic as compared to a few thousands tonnes previously, even though we've not really scratched the surface," he said.

Similarly, there was scope for handling coastal traffic. Another area in which the port had natural advantage and therefore held out big promise was containerised cargo generating in the north India for Far East. "Unfortunately, it is only now we have started tapping the potential," he said.