Aimed at raising productivity, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) plans to overhaul its operations, the KoPT Chairman, Dr A.K. Chanda said.

As part of this move, KoPT would float global tenders soon to invite service providers who would deliver guaranteed productivity gains, initially at Haldia and later at all the Port facilities, Dr Chanda said.

koPT hopes productivity at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) would rise to at least 20,000 tonnes per day from the present 8,000 tonnes per day per jetty.

Kolkata Port handled over 55 million tonnes of cargo in 2006-07 and hopes to handle 60 million tonnes this fiscal.

KoPT would be executing agreements with equipment operators laying down a system based on basic payment for a specified productivity norm with penalty clauses for short performance and bonus payment for performance in excess of set targets.

"The Port is moving away from older norms like availability of equipment because of the need to raise volumes and deliver lower costs and time benefits to users", Dr Chanda said.

"For HDC, the authorities would invite equipment manufacturers or operating agencies to run the operations on performance-only basis, while KoPT would provide the necessary supporting infrastructure", he elaborated.

The interested bidders would be invited to examine and study each berth or dock individually and then come up with solutions for enhancing productivity from the on-ground infrastructure, the spatial distribution of the work and a comprehensive solutions package.

Though some external agencies have equipment like mobile cranes in use within the Port complex now, these are mostly based on availability norms, an operating process that seems to have reached its performance limits, he indicated.

"We will start with the newest jetties at HDC which mostly handles bulk cargoes and see if we can develop new cargoes like edible products from there and dovetail these facilities to supporting infrastructure like railway lines, inland water transport jetties and container yards", he explained.

KoPT had recently allotted space to both the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) within its premises under full service agreements.

Mr. Neeraj Sharma

Neeraj Electronics

CEO, Neeraj Electronics
Jorhat, India

Free Member, Joined :06/09/2007
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