The Hindu Business Line : Kakinada old port has no master

Kakinada, Oct. 3 There is an official vacuum and confusion at the anchorage port of Kakinada, as there is no officer in charge of the port. It is a big handicap, as there is no master mariner to permit the ships into the port.

There is also no State Director of Ports, based in Kakinada, to take charge of the situation.

The tenure of Capt. Diwakar, on a two-year contract, officially ended by the end of September, and there was no communication from the State Government on whether his services had been extended or somebody else had been posted in his place.

Earlier, Capt. Subrahmanyam used to be the port officer and on his retirement Capt. Diwakar was appointed on a two-year contract. The contract expired in August and it was extended by a month and the extension expired by the end of the month.

No ship can enter the port without clearance from the master mariner, the port officer in charge or the State Port Director (if he is technically competent).

The lower-rung officials are not competent to take the decision on a whether a vessel should be allowed into the port, as the safety of the vessel as well as that of the port is at stake.

Already the port is facing congestion, as more than 20 vessels are waiting at the anchorage. Six more vessels are expected in the next few days.

“We have conveyed our concern to the State Government and we hope the Government will act fast,” said Mr D. Surya Rao, Chairman of the Cocanada Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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