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The river port is already suffering from low draft.
Now, the Finance Ministry’s decision to phase out dredging subsidy may further impact the efficiency of the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) under the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).
Sources in KoPT told Business Line that the port authorities recently agreed to the Finance Ministry’s proposal to phase out dredging subsidy for Haldia.
This was in view of KoPT’s plan to develop a deep-draft port at Sagar Island, at an estimated Rs 8,000 crore.
While Sagar port project found a place in this year’s Budget speech sources are concerned that till the new port comes in place, phasing out dredging operations will hit the navigability of the Haldia Dock. “Lack of dredging may soon turn HDC into a barge-port as it will be out of bounds for bigger vessels”, he feared.
HDC was offered a dredging subsidy worth approximately Rs 500 crore in this fiscal - up by 25 per cent compared to 2011-12 – to mitigate heavy siltation in the Hooghly river.
Subsidies went up since 1996 to ease the negative impact of Ganga Water Sharing agreement.
R.P.S. Kahlon, Chairman, KoPT, was not available for a comment in his regard.
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