The Hindu Business Line : Ministry preparing system on land management in major ports

Mr P. Tamilvanan (left), Chairman of NMPT, and Mr Rakesh Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Ports), Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, at the inauguration of the vigilance awareness week at NMPT on Monday. —

Our Bureau

Mangalore, Nov. 3

The Union Shipping Ministry has written to the Indian Ports Association (IPA) to prepare a computerised information system on land management pattern in major ports in the country, according to Mr Rakesh Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Ports) and CVO (Chief Vigilance Officer), Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways.

In an informal chat with presspersons on the sidelines of the inauguration of ‘vigilance awareness week’ at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) here on Monday, he said that land management has become a major problem in some ports in the country. “The Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) is of the opinion that we should devise some methodology by which we have computerised information available on land management in various ports,” he said.

The Government is keen that there should be some software or programme that can help provide information on land management in various ports.

Stating that CVC also wants a system on the arrival and departure of ships at ports, Mr Srivastava said the CVC wants that it should be monitored at the level of the ministry, and weekly or monthly report should be sent to CVC. If anybody wants to know about the status of arrival of cargo, he should be in a position to know with this system.

“We should be formally writing to all the port trusts. We have already written to IPA to make this type of system available, so that monthly information can be sent to the CVC,” he said.

Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of NMPT, said the digitisation of land management is on the anvil at the port.

Iron ore handling

Mr Srivastava said that mechanised iron ore handling project at the New Mangalore Port will be taken up during the current fiscal under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. A total of nine projects will be taken in the major ports under the PPP model during the current financial year, he said.

To a query on the progress in NMPT becoming the equity partner in Mangalore SEZ project, he said the proposal in this regard is with the Ministry, and it is in final stages.