Rites, a consultant appointed by the Kolkata Port Trust to study the feasibility of a new major port in West Bengal, has submitted its report and estimated the cost of the project in the first phase at R7,851 crore, sources said. Sagar Island has been finalised as the location for the 54-million tonne per annum (mtpa) port.
The Centre plans to invest R73,793.95 crore for development of various port projects in the 12th Plan and plans to build two new major ports in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
The feasibility report for the Andhra Pradesh port is yet to be commissioned. An internal technical committee of the government has shortlisted three locations in Andhra Pradesh.
The government will implement these ports through two special purpose vehicles in which the Centre will have a 74% stake and the respective state governments 26%. The SPV will then various projects in these ports to private companies on a public-private partnership basis. This will be a new ownership structure for the ports. All 13 major ports are now owned by the Centre.
The ministries of shipping and finance and the Planning Commission will jointly monitor the progress of the two new ports and supervise the bidding process, preparation of documents and award of concessions for PPP projects. These ports will help in creating a target capacity of 244 mt through 42 projects, which are estimated to cost R14,500 crore in 2012-13.
The shipping ministry will move to seek the Cabinet’s approval for the two ports by September end. The 13 major ports handle 63% of the seaborne traffic, while the non-major ports handle the remaining 36%. Twelve of these ports function as trusts under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, while the Ennore Port was set up as a company under the Companies Act, 1956.
