Govt to unveil shore handling policy

Stevedoring refers to loading and unloading cargo on vessels, and shore handling refers to the process of arranging and receiving cargo

The government would unveil a new policy for stevedoring and shore-handling activities of all major ports.

Stevedoring refers to loading and unloading cargo on vessels and shore handling refers to arranging and receiving cargo.

The new stevedoring and shore-handling policy for all major ports that would be in place from July 31, aims to put in place a mechanism for transparent auction of permits to the stevedoring agents for undertaking cargo-handling operations. Existing stevedoring agents will have to switch over to the new scheme from that date and charge the rate in line with the new ceiling fixed by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP). Stevedoring agents may lose their licences if they fail to switch to the new scheme, an official statement by the shipping ministry said.

TAMP shall notify the normative rate for stevedoring and shore-handling activities for the major ports based on a set of guidelines. This rate shall be ceiling rate. All existing contracts applicable to stevedoring and shore-handling operations would be allowed exemption till the date of expiry of the contract or July 31, 2017, whichever is earlier, the statement said. There are 12 major ports - Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust), Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambarnar (Tuticorin Port), Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Kolkata (including Haldia).