Saravanan's Blog

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/editorial/india-needs-to-equip-her-ports-to-accommodate-larger-ships/ Port Wings Editorial, Dec 31, 2014: India has a coastline spanning 7516.6 kilometers, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the world. It is serviced by 12 major ports and over 180 non-major ports. Since the Indian government has a federal structure, maritime transport is to be administered by both the Central and the State governments. While the central government's shipping ministry administers the major ports, the non-major ports are administered by the relevant departments or ministries in the nine coastal states West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The port infrastructure in our country, be it major ports or non-major ports, is abysmally low when compared to other developed maritime nations. There is a growing demand to have longer quay length facilities to accommodate even the 18000 TEUs-capacity...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/kpl-aims-big-plans-to-increase-handling-capacity-to-100-mt-by-2020/ Port Wings News Network: With the existing as well as proposed expansion projects lined up in the port, we are hopeful to reach 100 Million Tonnes  (MTPA)capacity by 2020, Mr M A Bhaskarachar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Kamarajar Port Limited, the erstwhile Ennore Port, has said. In an exclusive interview to Port Wings, Mr Bhaskarachar  said, “Our existing capacity is 30 MT and projects for adding another 39 MT have already been awarded. In the next five years, we have planned to award another 32 MT capacity addition projects. So, all put together, KPL would be a 100 MTPA facility by 2020.” It’s worth recalled here that KPL received two prestigious awards -- “PSE Excellence Award 2014 for Operational Performance” and “Company of the Year” from the Department of Public Enterprises, Government of India and Indian Chamber of Commerce rec...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/ports/chennai-ports-appeal-to-tn-govt-goes-unheard/ Port Wings News Network: With the Tamil Nadu state government failing to respond to the passionate plea from Chennai Port management to allow the movement of different cargo-laden vehicles through Gate No-10 (War Memorial Gate) to save EXIM trade, the future of the port in limbo. According to sources, the port management had sent a detailed representation to Mr C V Shankar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government (Industries Dept) and Mr S George, Chennai City Police Commissioner in the first week of December on the impact of ban on movement of vehicles from Chennai Port (along Poonamalle High Road) through Gate No-10. However, nothing moved since then and the ban started affecting the port’s growth very badly.  Citing facilitation to Metro Rail work on the Poonamalle Road, Chennai City Traffic Police authorities in mid-November imposed a blanket ban on movement ...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/mormugao-port-bets-big-on-future-projects/ Port Wings News Network: With a view to promote cruise shipping in Goa, Mormugao Port had already constructed berth for cruise ships and a dedicated cruise terminal building will be constructed shortly, Mr Cyril George, Chairman, Mormugao Port Trust, has said. In an exclusive interview to Port Wings, MPT Chairman said, “A dedicated cruise terminal building will be constructed shortly at a cost of Rs. 8.79 crores for which grants have been obtained from Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.” “Architect for designing the building already appointed and the facility is expected to complete by March 2016,” he added in the interview. Excerpts… Q. Tell us about the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) expansion plans and whether the Centre has provided guidelines or consultation on its implementation? Mr Cyril George : We have lined up several important projects in the next five year...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/editorial/bhagwad-gita-ram-mandir-can-wait-growth-cant/ Port Wings Editorial: Dec 17, 2014: While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a mission to resurrect the lost image of India in front the developed nations (read potential investors), a few loose cannons from his Bharatiya Janata Party are out to destroy what he had achieved in his first six months. While a BJP senior leader Ram Naik, now Governor of Uttar Pradesh, leaving behind all protocol to remain a non-partisan given the post, openly advocated for building Ram Temple, another senior leader, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj demanded Bhagvad Gita should be declared a as a national scripture, thus sending shockwaves among the moderates in the country. Though the BJP’s president Amit Shah tried to douse the matter by discarding them as personal views of those leaders and nothing to do with the NDA or BJP’s agenda for good governance, the fire lit by these senior part...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/general/for-make-in-india-success-role-of-sezs-are-crucial/ Port Wings News Network: Dr. Swarna, IAS., Joint Development Commissioner, MEPZ, addressing the gathering during the Commerce Ministry’s Roadshow held in Chennai recently. Also seen (from left) Mr. C Velan, CEO – Tril Info Park Ltd., Mr. Shivachandra Reddy – Regional Chairman – EPCES, Mr A K Chouwdhary, ITS, Development Commissioner, MEPZ and Mr, Atul anand IAS, MD, ELCOT. With a view to accelerating the growth in Indian economy, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come out with a new mantra -- Make in India, which could bring all the leading global players to invest in India. However, his mission could be derailed even before it comes on track, if the plaguing issues and flawed policies on Special Economic Zones (SEZ), which are the potential enclosures for bringing in huge investments and the magic wand to create employment opportunities, are not fixed soon. While th...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/setup-welfare-board-to-secure-freight-transport-drivers-future-trade-union-leader/ Port Wings News Network: The Union Government in consultation with the state governments  should set up a “Welfare Board” for the benefit of freight transport drivers , Mr K Asai Thambi, secretary of a reputed trade union in Chennai and one of the well-known voices for the voiceless drivers and cleaners working with container trailers and heavy vehicles in Chennai Port, has said. In an interview to Port Wings, Mr Asai Thambi said, “ To secure the future of lakhs of insecure freight transport drivers, the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take a call soon on setting up a welfare board for drivers, which would attract more and more to the driving job. ” In a freewheeling chat with Port Wings, he described the current status of freight transport drivers, their reluctance to go on inter-state long drives ...

Source: http://www.portwings.in/editorial/time-for-pm-modi-to-keep-distance-from-corporates/ The recent episode of Public Sector bank --the State Bank of India (SBI) sanctioning $1 billion loan to Adani Group’s coal project in Australia has opened the Pandora’s Box for the BJP’s top-rung leaders who are very busy in convincing the citizens that it was a genuine process. Even though the SBI’s top official defended the decision and categorically said that the public sector bank followed due process in granting the huge sum as loan, the closeness between Adani Group’s Chairman Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seen among the anti-Modi group as the real pressure for such sanctioning. Well nobody knows what had transpired between the SBI management and the Adani Group, after which the deal was eventually sealed, political parties, who are dead against the BJP and its ideologies, claim that it was a tacit support by the Prime Minister for the corporate, w...

Source:  http://www.portwings.in/articlesinterviews/shipping-ministry-should-standardize-the-agency-service-fees-arul-joseph/ Port Wings News Network: The Ministry of Shipping should standardize the agency service fees to be same in all the major and non major ports in the Indian sub continent, Mr Arul A. Joseph, Managing Director of Unicorn Maritimes (India) Pvt. Ltd (Unicorn Group), has said. In an exclusive interview to Port Wings after receiving the prestigious "Jewel of India" award for his outstanding achievements in the shipping industry, Mr Arul Joseph, said, “ Since this will enhance the Indian ship agents’ presence in the world market and as such the Indian ship agents’ services is in no way inferior to the services rendered by the overseas counterparts who are been paid heavily for the services as ship agents.” Excerpts of the interview… Q: Congratulations on receiving the prestigious award. Could you tell us about your shipping background? ...