The Chennai Port Trust (CPT) will focus on handling cleaner cargos and containers as well as building parking lot to compensate for the loss of around Rs 226 crore revenue owing to Madras high court’s order banning handling of coal and iron ore by it, said Union shipping minister G. K. Vasan here on Monday.
At a media interaction organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region, Mr Vasan said CPT had redrawn its business plans to compensate for the loss of revenue in handling dirty cargo. “A committee headed by Capt. Mohan has submitted its report detailing the new focus areas for the Chennai port,” he added.
CPT chairman Atulya Misra said Capt. Mohan committee had suggested handling of cleaner cargos like containers, fertilizers, cruise shipping, food and wood. “We are also looking at out-of-the-box ideas like car parks on public private partnership (PPP) model for the use of the public owing to increased availability of the space,” Misra said.
Earlier, Mr Vasan noted that the government would award six projects under PPP models in the port sector in 2011-12. “We understand there are some delays in the award of PPP projects in the port sector. About Rs 16,000 crore worth projects numbering 22 are under consideration.
By the end of March, about six projects will be given permission including the one at JNPT worth Rs 6,700 crore,” he added.
On the killing of two Indian fishermen by the security personnel of Italian ship off Kollam coast near Kerala, Mr Vasan said Indian waters were not infested with pirates and the killing was an unpardonable crime.
