The Hindu Business Line : Panel report on Kolkata container traffic soon

Short-term steps
As short-term measures, the committee, according to its chairman, has also emphasised the need for setting up more container freights stations (CFSs), trailer parking yards and additional storage space in the Kolkata Dock Sytem.

Our Bureau

Kolkata, Oct. 9 The high-powered committee constituted by the Ministry of Shipping under the Chairmanship of Capt P.V.K. Mohan, Member, National Shipping Board, to examine how to step up container traffic at the Kolkata port, will submit its report to the Government shortly.

“The report will contain both short-term and long-term recommendations,” Capt Mohan told Business Line over phone from Hyderabad.

The short-term recommendations, according to him, would include the introduction of Customs facilities at the port for 24 hours and for seven days a week at the port. This is not so at present. “The Commissioner of Customs has agreed to start two-shift work shortly,” he said. “We have also urged both the Kolkata Port Trust and the Calcutta Customs to complete their respective work relating to the introduction of IT by December 31,2007.”

As short-term measures, the committee, according to its chairman, has also emphasised the need for setting up more container freights stations (CFSs), trailer parking yards and additional storage space in the Kolkata Dock Sytem. The burgeoning container traffic at Kolkata Dock System has forced port authorities for the first time in many years to take the decision to divert container feeder vessels to Kidderpore dock for unloading the import boxes and again to bring the same vessels to Netaji Subhas dock for loading export containers. This has only increased the average turnaround time of the vessels.

Capt Mohan along with Mr S. Hajara, Chairman and Managing Director, Shipping Corporation of India, and other members of the committee were here recently to firm up their findings.

The long-term measures, as it was pointed, would include, among others, setting up of a full-fledged container terminal at Diamond Harbour and construction of a second lock gate at Haldia dock.

The interaction with the cross-section of the port users and the trade revealed that they were keen about the early implementation of the committee’s recommendations, Capt Mohan added.

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