The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has opposed the proposal of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) to hand over a multi-purpose berth for handling containers in PPP (public-private partnership) mode.

Submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district in this regard on Wednesday, Jeevan Saldanha, President of KCCI, said NMPT has proposed to hand over berth no. 8 – the only multi-purpose deep-draft berth with a draft of 14 metres – to a PPP operator for handling containers.

The proposed operator will have the right to handle all clean dry bulk cargoes at the berth. This is the only deep-draft berth available at the port for handling dry bulk cargoes.

If handed over to a PPP operator, it will have an adverse impact on the stevedores and C&F (clearing and forwarding) agents of the port who use the berth for all deep draft bulk vessels calling on at the port.

“KCCI strongly objects the proposal of handing over all cargo operations to one vendor by blocking one premium berth and depriving the right to livelihood of those who are dependent on port related activities at NMPT for decades,” he said.

Saldanha was speaking at an interactive meeting with the Deputy Commissioner of the district, KG Jagadeesha, on KCCI premises on Wednesday evening.

In a separate memorandum to Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Mangalore Steamer Agents’ Association has expressed displeasure over the proposal.

Praveen Kumar Bangera, President of the association, said that berth no. 8 is a premium berth. Dedicating a berth, which has occupancy of more than 90 per cent, to a PPP operator would be a waste of national resources, he said.

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