The Hindu Business Line : Diamond harbour jetties project yet to get panel nod

At a glance
The three jetties, together estimated to cost over Rs 350 crore.
To handle bulk items iron ore and coal (two jetties) and container and break-bulk items (one jetty).
The total capacity is estimated at six million tonnes.

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Kolkata March 1 It is over three months now the Kolkata Port Trust sent to the appropriate authorities in Delhi for approval the proposal for construction of three jetties at the Diamond Harbour on PPP (public private partnership) basis but is not sure yet if the approval will be available before long.

The reason: the high-powered committee that handles the PPP projects takes time to give clearance as there are several such proposals lying before it for a much longer time.

The KoPT authorities are keen that the approval is given early as it would like to have at least one of the jetties commissioned by 2008-09 and all the three latest by 2011-12. The three jetties, together estimated to cost over Rs 350 crore, are to handle bulk items iron ore and coal (two jetties) as well as container and break-bulk items (one jetty). The total capacity is estimated at six million tonnes.

Delay

The delay in the construction of the jetties will push up their cost; but more important, KoPT, it is feared, might be put to stiff competition from other new ports proposed to come up on the east coast, particularly the Orissa coast. There are proposals for at least three new ports, all under private initiative, in Orissa with the Paradip port planning massive capacity expansion.

But then the commissioning of the proposed Diamond Harbour jetties will take time even if their construction is complete without delay. This is because construction alone is not enough; far more important is connectivity. The port authorities are believed to have taken up the issue of rail connectivity with the Railways for laying railway lines up to the jetties. The Railways, it is learnt, too has agreed in principle to the proposal but that's all.

First the project has to be sanctioned by the Railway Ministry and several other hurdles have to be overcome before the actual work starts. For example, the project on the doubling of the line to Haldia dock faces an uncertain future for various reasons.

Equally critical is the issue of road connectivity. The present road condition to that area is just not suited for the movement of bulk items and containers to and from the proposed jetties. But whether the new roads will be built by the State Government or by a Central Government agency or by way of PPP is anybody's guess. All this remains in the realm of speculation till such time the projects are cleared by the appropriate authorities in Delhi.