| Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is likely to float a special purpose vehicle (SPV) jointly with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and a private player for launching inland water transport (IWT) in the state.
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| A K Chanda, chairman of KoPT, said IWAI had proposed the setting up of the SPV for launching IWT services.
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| He was speaking at a recent interactive session on 'Facilities available at Kolkata Port to handle increased volume' organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI). The proposal would be considered at the next KoPT board meeting.
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| "The plan is to set up IWT jetties, one each at Kolkata and Haldia. The proposal will be taken up for an in-principle approval at the next board meet of KoPT after which feasibility study would be taken up," said Chanda.
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| He noted the project was likely to be taken up in a public-private-partnership (PPP) model, wherein all the three stakeholders would have equity participation.
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| The proposed 'cargo handling facility' at Diamond Harbour could be expanded further, Chanda said . The initial plan was to have two jetties at the cargo handling facility at Diamond Harbour. In view of rising thermal coal imports, three jetties were likely to be set up.
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| The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has indicated that demand of cargo from thermal coal would be 4 million tonnes.
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| "We are panning to have three jetties against an initial plan of two jetties at the proposed cargo handling facility at Diamond Harbour," explained Chanda. The study would be ready by the next 6-8 weeks, he said. Two additional berths at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) would be completed by July 2007, Chanda added.
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| "The first berth would be completed by April 2007 and the second by July 2007 and this would augment HDC' handling capacity by at least three million ton," he said.
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| In addition, the two new jetties would be commissioned by early 2008 to add around 4 million tonne of handling capacity. |
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