In November in 2010, the Ministry notified the extension of the limit of KoPT to include some stretches of the Bay of Bengal. The notification would make confer the right on KoPT to use Kanika Sands, an island off the Orissa coast, for handling cargo. Naturally, a few of the Orissa private ports nearby reacted sharply against such a notification since it meant, ultimately, loss of business to them. Possibly influenced by them, the Orissa Government opposed the Ministry’s decision. Of course, the stand of the Ministry as well that of KoPT was that only the Centre had the right to decide upon the utilization of the international waters and the State government had no jurisdiction to operate. The Supreme Court was approached for intervention and it seems it has given a directive to hold a meeting of the parties involved in order to sort out the issue among them. The Ministry, therefore, has called for a meeting to be attended by the officials of the Governments of Orissa and West Bengal and KoPT. It is quite likely that representatives of two private ports in Orissa, Dhamra port and Subarnarekha port, might be present at the meeting since they are very apprehensive of adverse impact on their trade if KoPT starts using Kanika Sands. Both the ports appear to have very valid reasons to oppose the Ministry’s notification. Dhamra port is jointly managed by Tata Steel and L&T and Kanika Sands is just too close to it, proving a veritable threat to it. And, Subarnarekha port, promoted by a Chennai-based Creative Port Development Private Limited, falls well within the extended limit of KoPT ; obviously, it cannot be acceptable to the port. Whether KoPT would benefit on the ratification of the notification or whether the two ports would stand to benefit on the revision of the notification, one has to wait for the outcome of the meeting.
Friday, 19 October 2012
Ministry to discuss in a top-level meeting the extension of KoPT limit
In November in 2010, the Ministry notified the extension of the limit of KoPT to include some stretches of the Bay of Bengal. The notification would make confer the right on KoPT to use Kanika Sands, an island off the Orissa coast, for handling cargo. Naturally, a few of the Orissa private ports nearby reacted sharply against such a notification since it meant, ultimately, loss of business to them. Possibly influenced by them, the Orissa Government opposed the Ministry’s decision. Of course, the stand of the Ministry as well that of KoPT was that only the Centre had the right to decide upon the utilization of the international waters and the State government had no jurisdiction to operate. The Supreme Court was approached for intervention and it seems it has given a directive to hold a meeting of the parties involved in order to sort out the issue among them. The Ministry, therefore, has called for a meeting to be attended by the officials of the Governments of Orissa and West Bengal and KoPT. It is quite likely that representatives of two private ports in Orissa, Dhamra port and Subarnarekha port, might be present at the meeting since they are very apprehensive of adverse impact on their trade if KoPT starts using Kanika Sands. Both the ports appear to have very valid reasons to oppose the Ministry’s notification. Dhamra port is jointly managed by Tata Steel and L&T and Kanika Sands is just too close to it, proving a veritable threat to it. And, Subarnarekha port, promoted by a Chennai-based Creative Port Development Private Limited, falls well within the extended limit of KoPT ; obviously, it cannot be acceptable to the port. Whether KoPT would benefit on the ratification of the notification or whether the two ports would stand to benefit on the revision of the notification, one has to wait for the outcome of the meeting.
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