Saravanan's Blog

Source:http://www.portwings.in/editorial/unshackle-major-ports-to-compete-with-private-ports/ Edit piece in Port Wings latest issue:  There are 12 major ports including Kamarajar Port (erstwhile Ennore Port), India’s first corporate port registered under Companies Act, 1956. All of them are controlled by Tariff Authority of Major Ports (TAMP) who regulate all tariffs, both vessel related and cargo related, and rates for lease of properties in respect of Major Port Trusts and the private operators located therein. On the other hand, our country has over 180 minor ports, which are oflate re-christened as non-major ports. Presently, major ports account for 58 per cent of total cargo, while non-major ports are handling 42 per cent. In 2000-01, non-major ports handled just 10 per cent of total cargo. However, scenario has changed in last one decade. The growth shows that non-major ports have grown exponentially over the years and the major ports have failed to garner m...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/shattered-dreams-dg-shipping-sleeps-on-dns-cadets-future/ With no option for mandatory sea-time training in sight, future of over 3,000 Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS) cadets, who were left in the lurch by their institutes, Indian Maritime University (IMU) and the Directorate General of Shipping, is getting darker day-by-day. Though the DG Shipping took initiatives to provide sea-timing to those affected DNS cadets by entering into an MoU with the Directorate of Shipping Services, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, nothing had fructified even after a year. While the DG Shipping ensured that there won’t be any such trouble for those students joined DNS course post-2013 with a mandatory “sea-time training sponsorship” condition, the directorate has conveniently forgotten the plight of those 3,000-odd, who are in search of sea-time training on their own for last four years. THE SAGA OF DNS TIMEBOMB: The course is a six-seme...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/general/new-diktat-from-plant-protection-puts-exporters-importers-in-a-fix/ Port Wings News Bureau: While the EXIM trade, especially the exporters and importers of agricultural products in the country, are already reeling under number of bureaucratic hurdles placed by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, a latest circular from the directorate notoriously nailed the last nail on the prospects of stakeholders. In a latest circular dated Aug 28, 2014 and implemented from Sept 2 onwards across the country, the directorate informed all the stakeholders that as per the direction of the Plant Protection Adviser, the exporters/ importers or their Custom House Agents (CHA) to apply/submit the documents for issuance of Import Permit/ Import Release Order / Phytosanitary Certificate one day in advance, before inspection by Plant Quarantine. “Subsequently, the posting of PQ Inspectors will be done one day prior to insp...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/general/tardy-chennai-customs-hamper-chennai-ports-growth-trade/ Port Wings News Bureau: Chennai Port, which is ranked second among the Centre-run major ports in country in handling containers and has weathered several storms over the years, is now passing through a period of uncertainty due to lackadaisical attitude of Chennai Customs. Though the port has big ambitions to become a top container handling port in the country by improving its productivity,  the sheer inefficiency of Chennai Customs to facilitate seamless cargo flow via the port could derail its ambitious plans, warns EXIM fraternity. With the Madras High Court banning the handling of dusty cargoes like iron ore and coal at the port few years ago citing environmental concerns, the port management zoomed its priority to three Cs  - Containers, Cars and Clean cargo -- to remain in positive trajectory. For the past few years, the port embroiled in ...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/transporters-plea-to-modi-save-road-freight-transport-sector/ Port Wings News Bureau: The road freight transport segment is at critical juncture now and the new government at the Centre led by Mr Narendra Modi should take concerted efforts without any delay to keep alive the fragmented sector, which had been badly let down by the previous UPA regime, Mr R Sugumar, former spokesperson & member of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) and president of Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation, has said. In an exclusive interview to Port Wings, Mr Sugumar, a well-known face in the road freight transport sector spoke about the status of road freight transporters, scarcity of trained drivers, lack of security for truck drivers on highways and perennial hindrances for freight vehicles on road. Excerpts of the interview… Q. Tell us about the present condition of road freight transport segment? Mr Sugumar: “The...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/ictt-will-fulfill-the-dream-of-every-indian/ Mr K.K. Krishnadas, Chief Executive Officer, DP World Cochin The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), the first transshipment terminal in India and the first container terminal to operate in a SEZ, was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation (the first phase of the terminal) by the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on 11th February 2011. DP World has set up a state-of-the art container terminal in Cochin to cater to the growing container trade in India. DP world had developed ICTT, on a build operate and transfer (BOT) agreement with Cochin Port Trust for a period of 30 years . This project will be completed in three phases. In the first phase, the 600 m long quay with a draught of approx 14.5 m with capacity to handle one million TEUs annually. Capacity will expand in line with market demand, increasing to around 1.5 million TEUs in the second pha...