The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has taken a decision to terminate the 10-year deal with Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) as a sequel to its “illegal” and “arbitrary” abandonment of its contractual obligation under the agreement – handling dry bulk cargo at the Haldia Port.Further, the KoPT has said that it would claim at least around Rs. 1,000 crores as compensation from Haldia Bulk Terminals for this unwarranted action.
Mr. Manish Jain, acting Chairman of KoPT, said the port would also go in for a re-tender of the cargo handling operations at Berths 2 and 8. He stated that the port has served a notice to HBT to “encash” a performance guarantee amounting to Rs. 4 crores.
The Board of Trustees has decided to take legal action claiming compensation for financial losses that it will suffer for the remaining seven years (up to 2020) under the contract. The Board has authorised the management to blacklist HBT.
Apart from the ongoing legal battle in the Calcutta High Court, KoPT will also initiate arbitration proceedings.
According to Mr. Jain, the 2.7 lakh tonnes of cargo lying at the berths would soon be evacuated through logistics service outfits. The port authority has already evacuated some 80,000 tonnes through J. M. Baxi & Co, to various land destinations. For the delivery of the remaining cargo in the storage area at Berth Nos. 2 and 8, KoPT would go in for a tender.
Meanwhile, a KoPT committee has recommended ways to negotiate Eden Channel, an alternative route to Haldia Port along the Hooghly River during “foul weather”.
Among the key suggestions, the panel has suggested that the pilots could board the vessel at Paradip and bring the vessels to Haldia through the Eden channel. In choppy weather (April-September), boarding the vessel by pilots at Sand Heads is very difficult.
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