In a bid to boost container traffic, Kandla Port Trust has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Central Warehousing Corporation for development and running of a container freight station.
Deepak Jain, in-charge of business development centre of Kandla Port, said the port has contributed a 14-hectare land outside custom-bounded area in Kandla to set up the proposed freight station. He added that Central Warehousing was offering 36 per cent of its import-export trade as minimum guarantee.
Jain said the first stage of development of the freight station, at an estimated investment of Rs 22 crore, would be completed by February 2004.
He added that the freight station would enable accommodation of 5,000 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) [1 TEU = 20 feet container] of cargo and further expansion to 8,000 TEUs was planned in the second phase.
The MoU was signed recently in Gandhidham by Kandla Port chairman A K Joti and Central Warehousing managing director N K Chaubey. Kandla Port deputy chairman Vipul Mitra, Central Warehousing regional manager R L Meena and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
