The Hindu Business Line : Civil works of Vallarpadam container terminal begin

DP World, which operates the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal of the Cochin Port Trust through its subsidiary India Gateway Terminal (IGT), had awarded the contract to Simplex Infrastructures Ltd, a public listed civil engineering and construction company. The value of the contract is estimated to be around $150 million and the maximum period for the construction is 24 months.

Sources said that the commencement of work marks the beginning of a major journey for India’s maritime business, which is poised to grow several folds in the near future. Moreover, the realisation of the project will be a major achievement for the State in revenue and also generate employment. Strategically located on the main east-west global shipping lanes and as India’s largest individual terminal, the Rs 2,118-crore project is destined to develop as the premier gateway to southern India while offering an alternative to Sri Lanka and Singapore for container transhipment. IGT has the mandate to build the ICTT and operate it for 30 years.

Mr Ganesh Raj, Senior Vice-President, DP World, told reporters after the Bhoomi Puja that the company would be committed to develop Vallarpadam as it is capable of changing India’s maritime business. The first phase of the project will cost around $450 million of which $150 million will go into civil works, he said.

The first phase of the project will have 600 meters of quay serviced by six cranes. The terminal will have 3,500 ground slots with 450 reefer plug points to cater to the seafood trade and will be serviced by 15 Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes 2 top lifters. The first phase of the terminal, which is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2009, will have the capacity to handle 1 million TEUs per annum.

Meanwhile, the meeting convened by the Port Trust Chairman, Mr N. Ramachandran, to resolve various issues in the port has decided to constitute an Industrial Relations Mechanism to avert flash strikes at the port. Expressing concern over the tendency to go on strike without notice in the port, the Chairman said that any grievance which cannot be resolved at the level of HODs will be brought before an Industrial Relations Committee headed by the Port Secretary.

It was also decided to constitute a committee to formulate suitable recommendations in order to have a solution to the issues relating to the handling of ICD containers brought in by rail. The committee comprising representatives of DP World, port officials and two Labour Trustees will submit its report in two weeks.

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