The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port to invite bids for jetties at Diamond Harbour

Kolkata, July 12 Kolkata Port Trust will soon invite RFQs (request for qualifications) for the proposed container handling jetties at Diamond Harbour on the Hooghly River.

Giving this information at the 51st annual general meeting of the Calcutta Customs House Agents’ Association here on Saturday, Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust, said a proposal in this regard would be placed before the board of trustees of the port shortly and the bids would be invited soon after the approval.

There would be four jetties, estimated to cost Rs 1,233 crore. While two of them will have facilities for handling both barges and container ships, two others will handle only ships. “On commissioning, the throughput of the jetties should exceed 1.5 million TEUs annually,” Dr Chanda said, pointing out that the construction of the jetties would be on BOT basis. The acquisition of land for the project would be no problem.

Tackling congestion

Several steps, both long-term and short-term, were being contemplated to tackle the problem of congestion being experienced in the container berths of the Kolkata Dock System, Mr Chanda said. While there were proposals to allow private firms to set up more container freight stations within the dock area, rail connectivity was being established between the dock and one of the existing container freight stations — run by Balmer Lawrie — for quicker dispersal of boxes from the dock in view the difficulties in evacuating boxes by road. There were not enough trailers available. Central Warehousing Corporation, which too runs a container freight station in the dock area, was being provided additional land to expand its facilities.

An efficient container management, he said, presupposed not only setting up more such station but also achieving efficiency at every level of the chain. Ports provided just one link in the chain while freight forwarders, customs house agents and others provided the other links. Contrary to general perception, the Kolkata Port Trust posted 15 per cent growth in net surplus in 2007-08 even by effecting 20 per cent cut in various port charges, he added.

Cargo complex

Mr V.K. Monga, Director, Airport Authority, urged the Customs houses agents to be more active to ensure for fuller utilisation of the new cargo complex at Kolkata Airport. The facilities available were in excess of the demand, he said pointing out that the blueprint for the second phase expansion was also ready.

Mr Chander Bhan, Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), reminded the Customs house agents of the new challenges they would face following gradual liberalisation of the Customs procedures and laws. The competition would become more intense with providing quality of service at a competitive rate would be key factor, he observed.

Mr Suresh Man Shrestha, Consul General of Nepal in Kolkata, explained how critical the role of Customs house agents was for smooth transportation of traffic between Kolkata port and his land-locked country — Kolkata port being the major port used by Nepal for routing its imports and exports.

Mr Debashis Dutta, President of Calcutta Customs House Agents’ Association, and Mr K.K. Navada, President of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed various issues facing the cross-section of users of both Kolkata port and Kolkata airport.