Kolkata Port tops ranking for Q1

Traffic handled goes up by 2.71 mn tonne to 11.66 mn tonne

Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has topped the performance chart among all major ports of the country for the April-June quarter, 2005-06

"KoPT has handled 11.66 million tonne of traffic during the first quarter of the current financial year registering a growth of 2.71 million tonne against corresponding quarter previous year. KoPT has ranked first among all major ports of the country in terms of both absolute increase as well per cent growth, which has been 30.26 per cent compared to Q1, 2004-05," said A K Chanda, chairman, Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).The national average growth rate is around 16.26 per cent, he added.

Out of 11.66 million tonne, Kolkata Dock System(KDS) has handled 1.43 million tonne and remaining 10.22 million ton by Haldia Dock Complex (HDC).Individually, KDS has registered 29 per cent growth whereas HDC has registered 30.4 per cent, compared with first quarter of 2004-05, Chanda informed.

KoPT was followed by Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Mumbai port that have handled 2.3 million tonne, 1.93 million tonne and 1.93 million tonne respectively, during the same period.

In terms of growth rate, KoPT has been followed by Mormugao and Mumbai port trust registering a growth rate of 27.13 per cent and 23.4 per cent respectively.

Vegetable oil and pulses at KDS and iron ore, coking coal, thermal coal, petroleum products at HDC has been the major contributor to this significant achievement, noted Chanda.

"Growth of diverse cargo, arrival of new and additional cargo coupled with multi-faced user-friendly measures like better services, improved facilities, cost effective and customer-friendly charges has been the major reason of such an establishment," he said.