Chennai Port to get scanner for containers

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on December 4, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Chennai-Port-to-get-scanner-for-containers/339884.html
CHENNAI: The Chennai Port, one of the major ports in the country, is all set to get a mega container scanner within next few months. 

Speaking on the sidelines of an ‘Open House’ with the Chennai Custom House Agents’ Association here on Saturday, Mala Srivastava, Chief Commissioner of Chennai Customs, said, “We are in the process of installing a fixed mega container scanner at the Chennai Port in the next few months.”

Official sources said, the location near the Zero Gate of the Port, where the new facility would be coming up in another few months, had been already handed over to the Chennai Customs.

“The Directorate of Logistics, Customs and Central Excise, is procuring the scanner at a cost of about Rs 60 crore and an US company is supplying the product, which is the latest one available,”  said a Customs official.

The installation of such a facility has become a necessity after the US legislation, which requires that by July 2012, 100 per cent of the US-bound maritime cargo containers be scanned at a foreign port before being placed on a vessel coming into effect in seven months time.

On a question about shortage of Customs personnel at the newly opened three leaves at Chennai Port’s Zero Gate, she assured that her department would provide adequate officials at the location to ease speedy movement of containers.