Saravanan's Blog

Source:  http://www.gulftainer.com Gulftainer, the port management and Logistics Company headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, on June 23 announced that it has acquired a 51 % stake in Saudi Arabia’s Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company (GSCCO) , allowing it to assume the full management of three Saudi terminals, located in Jeddah and Jubail. According to a media statement, the acquisition makes Gulftainer the largest port operator in the Middle East with regard to the number of terminals operated in the region , with the company managing 40 % of all the major container terminal facilities in the Middle East that have the capacity to handle ships of 12,000 TEU or greater in size, and 45 % of all major port capacity outside of the Strait of Hormuz. At the Jeddah Islamic Port, Gulftainer will operate the Northern Container Terminal (NCT) on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, Jubail Commercial Port (JCP) and Jubail Industrial Port (JIP) on the east coast. Both Jeddah and Jubail ...

 Source:  www.imo.org June 25th marks the third international Day of the Seafarer, an official United Nations observance day.  This year, IMO is celebrating the occasion with a social media campaign calling on all supply chain partners, including those beyond the maritime sector, to help highlight the sheer diversity and scale of products used in everyday life that travel by sea, and to r ecognize the importance of the people that deliver them; more than 1.5 million seafarers.  In his annual Day of the Seafarer message, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said, “ Seafarers operate on the ‘front line’ of the shipping industry , and this year’s campaign theme, Faces of the Sea, aims to highlight the individuals that are often unseen, but who work to deliver more than 90% of the world’s goods. We will ask the seafarers themselves to show us snapshots of their daily life at sea, to give them a voice and share their story on a global stage, via social media”. ...

Source:  http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/indias-deepest-port-from-gods-own-country/ - Public hearing for the Rs. 4,010-crore Vizhinjam international deep water seaport will be held on June 29 Tapping advantages of its long coastline that has proximity to international EXIM route, Kerala Government has unveiled its master plan for having a green field port at Vizhinjam. According to the initial information made available to Media, the Vizhinjam international seaport will have the deepest draft in the country and it will be able to berth mega vessels of 18,000-TEU capacity. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has released the master plan for the project and its detailed project report in the presence of Ports Minister K. Babu and other dignitaries very recently. Since public hearing is mandatory for such projects, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board in a notice announced that public hearing for the Rs. 4010-crore Vizhinjam international deep water seaport, a Keral...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/arctic-shipping-code-by-2016/ A code regulating shipping in the high Arctic, where maritime traffic  is expected to increase as the ice cap recedes, is due to be  implemented in 2016 , the UN shipping agency has said. Shipping along the Arctic northern sea route is set to grow more than  30-fold over the next eight years and could account for a quarter of  the cargo traffic between Europe and Asia by 2030. “We are preparing a mandatory code for polar navigation,” Mr. Koji  Sekimizu, Secretary-General of the United Nations International  Maritime Organisation, has announced. “It will be operational in 2015  (and) will probably be implemented in 2016.” The code aims at ensuring safe navigation in a fragile ecological  environment, where infrastructure is few and help in case of an  accident is far away. “A new code will govern all technical  requirements covering design and operations,” he t...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/jnpt-signs-concession-agreement-with-nhava-sheva-india-gateway-terminal-for-container-facility/ The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT ), Mumbai and Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal Pvt. Ltd. (a subsidiary of M/s DP World ), signed a concession agreement on June 19 for development of standalone container handling facility at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Mr G. K. Vasan , Union Minister for Shipping and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, M/s DP World were present on the occasion. Under the agreement, a terminal with the quay length of 330 metres will be developed by the concessionaire at an estimated cost of Rs. 600 crores. The estimated capacity addition will be 0.8 Million TEUs per annum. The project is slated to be completed by December 2015. While addressing the elite gathering, Mr Vasan said, “ I complement the management of JNPT for taking the lead in achieving this feat, I also urge the other ports to develop systems conformi...

source:  http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/chennai-port-to-organise-trade-meet-in-andhra-on-july-5/ With the view to increasing its base in the major cargo originating regions, Chennai Port is organizing a mega trade meet in Hyderabad on July 5.  “We have planned the meeting to basically disseminate the capabilities of Chennai Port among the major EXIM players in that State ,” a senior port official told Sagar Sandesh. The main thrust at the meet would be for project cargo, RORO, granite, foodgrains and containerized cargo, as Chennai Port is better connected with ports of different continents, the official added .  It may be noted here that Chennai Port has positioned itself as a main port in the country for handling of project cargo and RORO vessels with its direct services to the world’s busiest ports. Besides top officials of Chennai Port and its two container terminals, high-ranking AP Government officials, representatives from Customs, CONCOR, RORO-vessel o...

Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/moily-stalling-arbitration-imposition-of-new-penalty-on-ril-dasgupta/article4827206.ece BY SUJAY MEHDUDIA Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily is stalling arbitration proceedings against the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) seeking to recover a penalty of $1 billion from the firm for violating contractual obligations in gas extraction in the Krishna-Godavari basin, says CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta.  Mr. Moily is going against the recommendations of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that the Mukesh Ambani-owned RIL should surrender a part of the gas block allotted to it and pay additional penalties, charged Mr. Dasgupta. Mr. Dasgupta told reporters here that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking immediate attention to the issue and an inquiry into the whole matter. “It was RIL which opted for arbitration after a $1 billion penalty w...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/world-maritime-university-branch-in-india-hangs-in-balance/ Will the country ever get a branch of World Maritime University (WMU)  as assured by Union Shipping Minister G. K. Vasan and Prof. Björn  Kjerfve, President of WMU, a million dollar question, hangs in balance  for some months now. It may be noted here that Mr. Vasan, while addressing students of  Indian Maritime University in November last, had announced that efforts  were on for setting up a branch of WMU in India. In a related development in February this year, Prof. Björn Kjerfve,  President of WMU, while addressing a gathering during the World  Shipping Forum also hinted at setting up a branch in the country as  India has several maritime institutions. However, in an e-mailed reply to Sagar Sandesh on a specific query  whether any process is on for setting up a branch in India, Ms. Maia  Brindley Nilsson, Communications and De...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/exim-players-on-exposure-trip-to-european-ports/ With a view to giving more exposure about the working style of EU ports  to regional EXIM players, the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry  (MCCI) organized a visit to European Ports recently . The delegation, which consisted of 11 members from companies such as  Kattupalli Port, Brakes India, Sattva Logistics and S Natesa Iyer &  Co. , visited the ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Ghent.  These ports were specifically chosen by the Madras Chamber as they  represent various aspects of the maritime trade. While Zeebrugge is the largest new car container facility in Europe,  Ghent is a riverine port handling coal and iron ore effectively  adhering to environmental norms; Rotterdam is the biggest port in  Europe and Antwerp is a major port in Europe situated on the river  Scheldt, both handling multi-commoditie s. Members of ...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/regular-weekly-tcx-service-from-kict/ The Larsen and Toubro’s (L & T) Kattupalli International Container  Terminal (KICT) at Kattupalli, Chennai, has started making waves in the  world EXIM map of late, as it began a regular and fixed services to  Thailand from the newly inaugurated facility. On June 7 (0025 hrs), NYK Container Line Ltd’s vessel Iwaki, a part of Thailand  Chennai Express (TCX) service, called at the Kattupalli Port. Speaking to Sagar Sandesh, a senior Kattupalli Port official said that  the terminal handled 135 import boxes (TEUs) and 16 export boxes in  less than two hours. It may be noted that in the first TCX Service X-PRESS INDUS in April  this year, the KICT handled about 162 TEUs. Besides, the port management also announced that a TCX vessel would  call at Kattupalli Port every week and requested the EXIM fraternity in  the region to utilize these services.

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/764-shipping-companies-named/ Reeling out a list of 764 registered shipping companies to benefit the  pre-sea training institutes seeking sea-time for their trainee cadets,  DG Shipping has come out with a list of shipping companies that could  be contacted by the institutes for the availability of mandatory  onboard sea-time slots . The same is also made available with Indian  National Shipowners Association (INSA) Office and can be obtained by an  e-mail request, says the circular. It is worth mentioning at this juncture that Sagar Sandesh and R. L  Institute of Nautical Sciences, Madurai, have been crusading the cause  of these hapless cadets ever since their inception. In a bid to redress the non-availability of slots for mandatory onboard  training of pre-sea cadets, DG Shipping has been taking slew of steps,  says a note issued by Assistant Director General of Shipping S. K.  Ja...

By  முகவை.க.சிவகுமார் Source:  http://dinamani.com/editorial_articles/2013/06/04/%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%A3%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%93%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%A9-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D/article1618563.ece ஓய்வு பெற்றவர்களுக்கான பணிக்கொடை, சேமநலநிதி, ஓய்வூதியம், சலுகைகள் உள்ளிட்டவைகளை ஓய்வு பெறுவதற்கு ஒரு நாள் முன்னதாகவே வழங்கும் விழா, சென்னை புதுக்கல்லூரியில் சமீபத்தில் நடைபெற்றது. உயர்கல்வித் துறையின் சென்னை மண்டலத்தில் உள்ள அரசு உதவி பெறும் 25  கல்லூரிகளில் சுமார் 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக பணியாற்றிய 62 பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு, ஓய்வுக்குப் பிறகு கிடைக்க வேண்டிய அனைத்தும் ஒரே நாளில் வழங்கப்பட்டன.  இதில் என்ன புதுமை இருக்கிறது என நினைப்பவர்கள், அரசுத் துறைகளிலிருந்து ஓய்வுபெறுபவர்கள் படும் அவதிகளைக் கேட்டறிந்தால் புரியும். ஒருவர் ஓய்வுபெறும்போது துணை ஆட்சியர் அந்தஸ்தில் கூட இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் பணி ஓய்வு பெற்ற மறுநாளே  அவரும் சாதாரண ஓய்வூதியதாரர்தா...

Source: http://www.andamansheekha.com/2013/06/03/ghost-hockey-team-making-mockery-of-national-game-in-andaman/ PIC courtesy: http://thefansofhockey.com E Arun & Tarun Kartick Port Blair, Jun 3: In a shocking revelation Andaman Sheekha had published a news on 1st June 2013 highlighting how a Ghost Team of Andamans participated in Senior Men’s National Championship in Pune recently, about which the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has no clue. Further investigation carried out by Andaman Sheekha has revealed that the Ghost team, which represented Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the said Championship was picked up from Bangaluru and most the players were from some Engineering college. The investigation further revealed that in that team o nly four players were from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while others were Mainlanders. A journalist from Indian Express, who is carrying out a detailed investigation in this issue told Andaman Sheekha that the team management of the G...

Source: http://www.sagarsandesh.com/port/ap-has-the-highest-share/ The State of Andhra Pradesh commands the lion’s share of over 46 per cent with three projects worth over Rs. 20,000 crores under construction in the ports sector under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as of April 30, 2013.  “With three projects worth over Rs. 1,425 crores, AP has a share of about six per cent in the PPP port projects under operation and the State has no projects in the ports sector that are under bidding,” according to a just concluded study titled ‘ Port Developments in India’ released by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). “While Gujarat accounts for the maximum share of over 50 per cent in the total number of completed projects in the ports sector that have been put to service delivery under the PPP model as of April 30, Kerala has the highest share of about 40 per cent in the PPP ports projects under bidding,” highlighted the study that was ...