Concor on track to expand operations in East

Container Corporation of India (Concor) has proved a boon to the country’s rail transportation sector.

Since setting up its first inland container depot (ICD) in Bangalore in 1981, Concor has spread its network across the country and expanded.

The company’s operations have grown in the eastern region in sync with the growing steel and power sectors.

Now, with the upcoming Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and the proposed steel and power plants in the East over the next few years, Concor will set up four multi-modal logistics parks (MMLP) in Odisha and two warehouse facilities in the North-East.

According to Sharad Verma, Chief General Manager, Eastern Region, Concor, the company will set up four MMLPs in Odisha over the next few years and build warehouse facilities in Tripura and Assam.

At present, Concor operates eight terminals (ICDs) across West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar in the eastern region.

Logistics facilities

MMLP typically provides all logistics facilities to the trade in an integrated manner.

It provides services such as supply chain management, mechanised handling, warehousing and inventory management under one umbrella, thereby reducing the costs of the users.

“We have plans to expand our capacity in Odisha where so many power and steel plants are coming up. We will build four MMLPs — one each at Jharsuguda, Paradip, Muniguda and Jajpur — in the State,” Verma told Business Line.

While work has started at the proposed MMLP at Jharsuguda, Concor recently received an approval for land acquisition at Jajpur.

“The nodal agency of Odisha Government will now start the land acquisition process for the project,” Verma says.

Once operational, each of these upcoming logistics parks will have a capacity of handling 50 rakes a months, including Railway wagons, he adds. According to Verma, each of the proposed logistics parks would require 40-50 acres of land. However, Concor has approached the Odisha Government for acquiring nearly 90 acres for the Jajpur project.

“Users will be provided all sorts of facilities under one umbrella at these logistics parks. For example, we will provide connectivity through port, rail and road at Paradip,” Verma points out.

The other three MMLPs will provide services through both rail and road.

Expansion in North-East

While a 35,000 sq. ft. warehouse is being constructed at Agartala, Concor will set up a 1.25 lakh sq. ft. warehouse at Amingaon near Guwahati in Assam.

Concor’s decision to expand its warehousing capacity at Amingaon came after shippers repeatedly demanded an additional one lakh sq.ft. of warehousing capacity within the terminal.

According to Verma, the proposed warehouse at Amingaon will be developed under the Assistance to States for Development of Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities (ASIDE) scheme. “This will be in addition to the two existing 25,000 sq. ft. warehouses at Amingaon that largely cater to the tea industry,” he says.

Once operational, the upcoming warehouse will boost large-scale transportation of domestic tea containers between Amingaon and Kolkata.

Besides, there are demands from the industries in the North-Eastern for setting up a warehouse to store commodities. “The facility will store commodities such as cement, food grains, certain steel and rubber products,” Verma maintains.

ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

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