An all-round improvement in operational performance has helped the Paradeep port to increase its operating income to Rs 164.50 crore in 1996-97 from the previous years Rs 151.49 crore. The port, one of the largest on the east coast, handled a record 11.58 million tonnes of traffic last year, surpassing its previous best of 11.26 million tonnes in 1995-96.
The port, which handled an all-time high of 603 vessels in 1996-97, has also shown remarkable improvement in various operational efficiency parameters. The average pre-berthing detention improved from 2.49 days in 1995-96 to 1.65 days last year, while average turn-around time dipped from 6.29 days to 4.94 days.
The port also witnessed a significant improvement in the handling of petroleum products. It handled a record 1,693 tonnes of petroleum oil lubricant (POL) products in 1996-97, about 500 tonnes more than the target set for the year and 600 tonnes more than the figure achieved in the previous year.
With three greenfield petroleum refineries, having a combined installed capacity of 20 million tonnes proposed to be set up in and around Paradeep, POL cargo has already been identified as a key area for future growth, said Paradeep Port Trust chairman S Gupta.
The three refineries in the pipeline include that of the Indian Oil and Kuwait Petroleum, which has a projected capacity of 9 million tonnes, Nippon Denro (also 9 million tonnes) and the Hinduja-owned Ashok Leyland (2 million tonnes).
Unveiling the port authorities future plans, Gupta said they intended to increase the ports berth capacity from the current 10.6 million tonnes to 34 million tonnes by 2002, by adding six new berths to the present eight. An outlay of Rs 908.52 crore has been proposed for the port during the ninth plan, he added.
The proposed outlay would be utilised to fund the construction of three general cargo berths, which will handle the raw materials and finished products of a number of steel plants proposed to be set up in the ports hinterland.
Other items on the ports agenda include construction of an island breakwater, an oil jetty for handling of liquefied petroleum gas and POL products, deepening of the ports approach channel and widening and deepening of the harbour. Meanwhile, the port has received approval for an annual plan outlay of Rs 224.84 crore, with an external aid component of Rs 40 crore, for 1997-98.
The schemes to be taken up during the current year include extension of the west quay, upgradation of the existing iron-ore handling plant and coal-handling tipper and construction of a new railway line.
The recent government decision to enhance the powers of the Port Trust Board to approve projects upto Rs 50 crore has bestowed a lot of independence on the port management to implement projects more expeditiously, pointed out the ports traffic manager Dillip Mishra.
The port authorities have already identified certain areas for development through private sector participation. These include construction and management of new cargo berths for captive use, oil terminals and container terminals, operation of a fishery harbour and the setting up of a floating dry dock, a ship-breaking yard and a captive power plant.
Coal-handling project to cost Rs 110cr more
Our Correspondent BHUBANESWAR
The Paradeep ports controversial mechanical coal-handling plant project, which is being implemented with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is likely to suffer a cost overrun of about Rs 110 crore.
The project was originally estimated to cost Rs 587 crore. But a delay in implementation is expected to see the cost escalate to approximately Rs 700 crore. The proposed plant was scheduled to be completed by April 1998. However, the commissioning date has now been rescheduled to December 1999.
The project was conceived about five years back to facilitate transport of coal from the Talcher coalfields in Orissa to various thermal power stations in South India. When completed, the project is expected to enhance the ports coal-handling capacity to 20 million tonnes.
The project has come under a cloud following the selection of BHP-Kinhill, an Indo-Australian joint venture as the consultants to the project under controversial circumstances. BHP-Kinhill was selected even though it quoted a much higher amount than other international firms. In fact, the joint ventures retention as consultants was objected to by ADB, the main funding agency.
Meanwhile, a CBI investigation has been ordered into the selection process.
