Kolkata Port Trust will wait till final order on port limit: Meena

The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has decided not to proceed with the mid-stream transloading project tendering process despite receiving a breather from the Supreme Court.

"It is good news for us that the apex court denied grant of an interim stay on the order of the Orissa High Court regarding port limit. But, we want to wait till the final order," KoPT chairman M L Meena told PTI.

In its final order, the Orissa High Court on November 25, 2011, had scrapped the notifications issued by the Ministry of Shipping and KoPT for expansion of the port limits.

Transloading project is very crucial for the riverine port to keep itself afloat when maintaining draft at the desired level was becoming difficult leading to diversion and decline of cargo, KopT officials said.

Meena said the final order of the court would help in increasing investor's confidence in the project as proposed in the PPP model. The tendering process to select the transloading partner has been stalled. A legal battle had emerged after KoPT unilaterally notified extentsion of the Kolkata Port limits more than 200 km south of Haldia into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of 28,646 sq km.

Meena in the past had said KoPT has never asked for exclusive rights on the water and said there should not be any restriction for any company or port.

Dhamara Port Company Ltd (DPCL) and Subarnarekha Port authorities had opposed the KoPT's move for increasing the port limits.