Ever since a stiff confrontation started between Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT), the situation at Haldia complex was far from normal. HBT, finding the volume of business at its mechanized berths 2 and 8 was on the serious decline, threatened to close down its operations and KoPT tried to avoid such a closure by diverting, after arbitration, more ships to HBT operated berths. This led to a series of consequences with adverse effect on both KoPT and HBT. HBT moved the court seeking its intervention in restoring normalcy at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC). The stalemate lingers on. But, to meet the needs of the customers, KoPT resorted to diverting ships meant for Haldia port to a private port at Dhamra in Odisha. STX Mutiara , loaded with coal for NTPC’s Farraka and Kahalgoan plants , was stranded at the Sandheads from October 12 and it was diverted to Dhamra port. KoPT tried to unload the cargo of Mutiara through some barges but, the sources of KoPT said, the unloading was not allowed by the Director General of Shipping. According to the sources, “KoPT should have sent MS class barges as only those are allowed in the high seas at the Sandheads”. Though KoPT and HBT have to and do wait for the intervention from the court, it may be recalled that the apparently major factor behind the unrest was HBT’s retrenchment of 275 workers.
Friday, 26 October 2012
KoPT crisis continues with no immediate solution
Ever since a stiff confrontation started between Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT), the situation at Haldia complex was far from normal. HBT, finding the volume of business at its mechanized berths 2 and 8 was on the serious decline, threatened to close down its operations and KoPT tried to avoid such a closure by diverting, after arbitration, more ships to HBT operated berths. This led to a series of consequences with adverse effect on both KoPT and HBT. HBT moved the court seeking its intervention in restoring normalcy at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC). The stalemate lingers on. But, to meet the needs of the customers, KoPT resorted to diverting ships meant for Haldia port to a private port at Dhamra in Odisha. STX Mutiara , loaded with coal for NTPC’s Farraka and Kahalgoan plants , was stranded at the Sandheads from October 12 and it was diverted to Dhamra port. KoPT tried to unload the cargo of Mutiara through some barges but, the sources of KoPT said, the unloading was not allowed by the Director General of Shipping. According to the sources, “KoPT should have sent MS class barges as only those are allowed in the high seas at the Sandheads”. Though KoPT and HBT have to and do wait for the intervention from the court, it may be recalled that the apparently major factor behind the unrest was HBT’s retrenchment of 275 workers.
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