The Paradip port, on the eastern coast, has embarked upon Rs 500 crore expansion plan to enable the port handle cape sized vessels. The plan includes deepening of the channel and construction of a deep harbour.

In fact, Paradip will be the first port to allow such huge ships into the inner harbour, Mohapatra said The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was presently under progress in this connection.

Besides, the port intends to construct a deep harbour with 16 metres draught on Build Own and Operate (BOT) basis to accommodate iron ore vessels of one lakh DWT.

The project, for which a feasibility study in now underway is expected to cost Rs 400 crore.

The scope of the project includes construction of a mechanised iron ore handling plant.

This apart, to handle clean cargo and containers, the port proposes to build a clean cargo berth on BOT basis and short listed two firms - Adani Exports and Larsen and Toubro - for the purpose. The project is expected to cost Rs 40 crore.

Paradip port handled all time record traffic of 23.82 million tonnes during 2002-03, which is 12.7 per cent higher than the previous best of 21.13 million tonnes in 2001-02.

According to Mohapatra, the port had laid emphasis on growth and expansion during the last two years and doubled its net surplus from Rs 32 crore in 2001-02 to Rs 65 crore in 2002-03.

“Paradip has the brightest future as far as growth is concerned among the ports in India”, whose tenure as chairman of PPT came to an end yesterday said.

The port earned operational income of Rs 375 crore (provisional) in the just concluded fiscal against Rs 297.21 crore during the previous year after an operating expenditure of Rs 247 crore.

With the improved financial position, the port had paid Rs 192 crore to the Central government during the year towards its debt liability of Rs 459 crore.