Orissa to conduct feasibility study for Bahabalpur port

After the Orissa High Court struck down the notification of the Centre for extending the limits of Kolkata Port trust (KoPT), the Orissa government has decided to conduct pre-techno economic feasibility study for setting up a port at Bahabalpur in Balasore district.

Bahabalpur is among the 14 locations identified by the state government for building minor ports. It figured among the seven ports north of Dhamra to be affected by the unilateral extension of limits by KoPT.

"Following the verdict of the Orissa High Court on the matter relating to expansion of KoPT limits, the state government has decided to take up a pre-techno economic feasibility study. The Director (ports & inland water transport) has been asked to initiate steps in this direction", Sanjeev Sahoo, minister for commerce & transport informed the state assembly.

After the order of the Orissa High Court, the sate government has not entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with any private player for setting up of any non-major port.

The minister informed the Dhamara port has already resumed operations from May 6 this year.

The state commerce & transport department has also inked concession agreement with Chennai-based Creative Port Development Ltd for building a minor port at Subarnarekha river mouth. Land acquisition work for the port and its economic corridor is under way, he said.

Besides, the state government has signed MoU with Essel Mining & Industries Ltd, an Aditya Birla group firm for setting up a captive port at Chudamani in Bhadrak district.

Similarly, JSW Infrastructure Ltd had evinced interest interest in setting up a deep-sea, captive port at Bichitrapur in Balasore district which the minister said, is under consideration of the state government.

JSW Infrastructure which had identified Bahabalpur and Inchudi, both in Balasore district, as potential locations for setting up its port, had finally zeroed in on Bichitrapur for the project.

Orissa has witnessed grounding of investment of Rs 4262.44 crore from non-major ports in the past 10 years.

The investments have come from four minor port developers- Dhamara Port Company Ltd (DPCL), Gopalpur Port Ltd (GPL), Creative Port Development Ltd and Navayug Engineering Ltd from 2002-03 up to the end of September this year.

DPCL, a 50:50 joint venture between Tata Steel and L&T, is the biggest investor, with its investment till the second quarter of 2011-12 standing at Rs 3570.35 crore.

Gopalpur Port Ltd (GPL), a special purpose vehicle promoted jointly by Orissa Stevedores Ltd and Sara International Limited (SIL) has invested Rs 421.09 crore during 2007-08 to September-end of 2011-12.