Kolkata port eyes 46mn.t. cargo

Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is handle cargo to the tune of 46 million tonne in this fiscal, making it the second largest port in the country.

The growth will be driven by rise in both breakbulk and container traffic. Last year the port had handled 41.26 million tonne cargo. Vishakhapatnam is expected to be the largest port at 48 million tonne.

Anup K Chanda, chairman of Kolkata Port Trust, said the port was confident of maintaining the momentum going forward even as it faced the threat of losing about 9-10 million tonne of petroleum cargo once the Paradip-Haldia pipeline proposed by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) came up.

"The port facility at Saugor, which can handle very large vessels, will lead to much higher growth," he added.

Speaking at the sidelines of a seminar organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Chanda said Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) was expected to conduct a study of the port.

KoPT wants to develop a full-fledged port facility at Saugor, located to the south of Haldia, and hopes to rake in a Japanese soft loan to fund it.

KoPT is trying to promote new business and recently offered 40 per cent concession to boost coastal cargo movement.