Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is expected to close the financial year 2002-3 with nearly 35.8 million tonne cargo, up by nearly 18 per cent from the previous year.
KoPT had handled cargo of about 30.4 tonne in 2001-2 and its growth has far outstripped the national average growth rate for major port of about 5 per cent. It is also much higher than 32 million tonne cargo estimated by the ministry of shipping (MoS) itself.
Combined cargo handled by two arms of KoPT, Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), have already touched nearly 32.393 mn tonne during the first eleven months of this fiscal.
With this, KoPT was likely to move up to third place among major ports, surpassing Chennai. It is now only behind Visakhapatnam and Kandla. Port officials attribute the success to various traffic promotion measures taken by KoPT.
During the year, while it performed strongly with the major existing cargoes like POL (crude and product), iron ore, coking coal, thermal coal, the port has managed to get break into some of the new areas as well. Both KDS and HDC also fared well in container cargo as well.
Nepal cargo which was earlier diverted to Visakhapatnam and Paradip has began to come back to KoPT. However, the major success story for the port is foodgrain export and import.
Port revamped the rail network at KDS with active support from Eastern Railway. With liberalised policy of the Union government, foodgrain export was allowed during 02-03 and port did full use of that.
Nepal cargo and foodgrain was handled through the Kidderpore Dock (KPD-II) which was reopened in early 2003 after being closed for an year due to maintenance.
The jump is attributed to various traffic promotion measures by the port. KoPT is considered to be one of the high cost port by users. Port authority has tried to address the problem by offering full fledged stevedoring services from March 1, 2003. The port would also act as a clearing and forwarding agent (C&F) soon with the aim of providing value for money service to users.
During past one month, port has handled six ships. Officials said port is also planning to offer more sops to users in terms of reduced rates.
Moreover, it has rationalised tariffs, box rate for ICD container with waste paper, news print, vegetable oil, iron and steel was rationalised. Also wharfage on wheat, rice, rock phosphate was slashed.
Port has also set various coordinating groups to enhance interface with users. It has set up Marketing and Trade Relations Group and Customer Relations Group. It also set up a Business Development Group for identifying non-traditional areas for revenue. All such endeavors are now bearing fruit, officials claimed.
