The Kolkata Port Trust's decision to award service contract to Ripley has come in for questioning with a public interest litigation seeking an independent enquiry to find out the reasons of the recent trouble in the Haldia Dock Complex and fix the responsibility for same.
In a PIL filed with the Kolkata Port Trust today, the National Forum For People’s Right, a non-government organisation, has said the state government and the port trust have acted "arbitrarily" in allowing Ripley and other private cargo handling companies to negotiate directly with the importers and exporters.
The PIL came up for hearing today. The petition has also raised question about operations of companies belonging to Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha member Swapan Sadhan Bose, popularly called Tutu Bose, as to how they were “carrying out shore handling operations inside and outside Haldia Dock System since 1977 without any contractual arrangement”.
When contacted both Shoumik Bose, Ripley director, and Manish Jain, deputy chairman, Haldia Dock Complex, did not comment on the issue. However, a senior official told Business Standard that such contracts are signed by importers and exporters and not awarded by the ports. "This is a common practice in all the major ports, there is nothing wrong in it," he said.
The PIL has sought a commercial audit by Comptroller and Auditor General of India to ascertain the revenue loss by Kolkata Port the non-performance of the shore operations at berth 2 and 8. Kolkata Port Chairman R P S Kahlon, who has recently taken charge said he was not aware of the development.
Public interest litigation filed against Kolkata Port Trust authorities, the shipping ministry officials and Ripley & Co among others has alleged that the government “showered blessings upon some private companies for carrying out operations in Haldia Dock Complex.”
The petitioners have stated that in all the berths other than 2 and 8 which were operated by ABG, Ripley was involved in shore handling operations of around 10 million tons of cargo charging Rs 200 per metric tonne from trade while sharing nothing with the port. “They (Ripley & Co) are not contractors of the port. They are just working with their muscle power and are earning Rs 200 crore per annum,” the PIL alleged.
ABG had been selected to operate the berths at Haldia Dock Complex after a tendering process in 2010.
Recently, Kolkata High Court allowed ABG Haldia Bulk terminals to move equipment worth Rs 140 crore from Haldia Dock Complex. Kolkata Port had also moved High Court seeking a compensation of Rs 233 crore for the losses suffered due to ABG’s exit. The latest PIL too has come up with a loss figure of Rs 3,796 crore for the same.
Among those mentioned in the PIL as respondents are Kolkata port’s chairman, deputy chairman (HDC), Board of trustees, shipping secretary and secretaries of water resources ministry and labour ministry among others.
