Kolkata Port increases docking capacity
The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has increased capacity at the city's dock by building a 30,000-square metre container yard at a cost of INR54.5 million (US$1.3 million) to ease congestion.
The development follows news that KoPt handled a 11.32 million tonnes in the 2006-07 financial year according Express newspapers of India.
But customs pointed out that Kolkata Port has not seen any reduction in container dwell-time, leading to under-utilisation of capacity. As of now, the KoPT is operating at 50 per cent capacity, the report said.
"We take an average of three days to give our clearance, but it is now the responsibility of the importers and users to see that the containers are cleared," said local customs commissioner BB Agarwal.
Port chairman AK Chanda said: "The KoPT is going to reduce free waiting to three days again. Free waiting had been extended to 20 days as a promotional measure to encourage traffic to Kolkata Port and the new norm of three-days demurrage-free period will be in effect this month. This will help check the dwell time as users will now have to pay for storage in the port."
Mr Chanda was speaking at the inauguration of the Kolkata Dock System Information Technology at Subhash Bhavan, the operational headquarters of the city dock, where he unveiled a computerised permit office. "We hope to achieve operational speed with increased automation, thereby making Kolkata Port more customer-friendly."
The development follows news that KoPt handled a 11.32 million tonnes in the 2006-07 financial year according Express newspapers of India.
But customs pointed out that Kolkata Port has not seen any reduction in container dwell-time, leading to under-utilisation of capacity. As of now, the KoPT is operating at 50 per cent capacity, the report said.
"We take an average of three days to give our clearance, but it is now the responsibility of the importers and users to see that the containers are cleared," said local customs commissioner BB Agarwal.
Port chairman AK Chanda said: "The KoPT is going to reduce free waiting to three days again. Free waiting had been extended to 20 days as a promotional measure to encourage traffic to Kolkata Port and the new norm of three-days demurrage-free period will be in effect this month. This will help check the dwell time as users will now have to pay for storage in the port."
Mr Chanda was speaking at the inauguration of the Kolkata Dock System Information Technology at Subhash Bhavan, the operational headquarters of the city dock, where he unveiled a computerised permit office. "We hope to achieve operational speed with increased automation, thereby making Kolkata Port more customer-friendly."
