Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
SMP Kolkata Chairman Announces Expansion Plans & Ongoing Projects in 2-Day Maritime PPP Conclave
Kolkata, August 18, 2022
The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port , Kolkata Chairman Shri Vinit Kumar today stated that the port is celebrating the silver jubilee of PPP in the port sector and over Rs. 20,000 crores have been invested in the port sector under the PPP model which accounts for around 30 per cent of the total capacity in the port sector. He added, “There is a pipeline of around Rs. 28,000 crores in next seven to eight years and is a big boost for the shipping and port sector.” Speaking on the vision MIB 2030, he said that the Landlord model is the model for the future where the ports will be more of a regulator and the services will be provided by the private sector under the PPP mode.
While deliberating in the two-day  PPP Conclave at the city in association with FICCI, Shri Kumar stressed on the need to focus on multi-modal transport & explore avenues in the shipping services by introducing the PPP model.
Speaking on the future plans of the port, Shri Kumar said, “In Kolkata we have already given a concession for Khidirpur Dock  where there is a concession of Rs 180 crore and it is primarily for IWD transportation. Now we will be able to handle containers in Kidderpore Dock as well”. He said, another concession of 300 crores of berth no. 2 in Haldia Dock Complex.
The SMP Kolkata Chairman also stated that in the upcoming Netaji Subhash Dock, the concessions are ending in 2024 and the port intends to take four berths together in the first phase and the outer terminal and berth number 2 and 3 in the second phase. With this the entire Netaji Subhas Dock  operations will be done in PPP mode.
Speaking on the expansion plans, Shri Kumar said that there is also a proposal to extend the gate facility at Balagarh  and SMP Kolkata intends to develop a jetty for transportation of containers and other materials and to decongest this port we are developing two jetties in the first phase. He added that SMP Kolkata has an expansion plan of setting up of Floating Crane facility for transhipment of containers. We will deploy a floating crane  with a concession of 15 years in Diamond Harbour and Sagar for transhipment of containers.
There are three projects which are on-going with an investment of Rs. 750 crores and in the next 3-4 years there is a pipeline of Rs. 2,500 crore coming up as investment in SMP Kolkata, said Shri Kumar. He again stated that SMP Kolkata is also working to develop a tunnel under the river Hooghly for better and direct evacuation at the Kona Expressway and the port is inclined to invite private investors for this as well.
An Award of Concession has been given to M/s Hooghly Oil and Gas Terminal Private Limited  for the project which will include setting up of Liquid Cargo Handling Jetty along with Associated Facilities at Shalukkhali, Haldia Dock-II, HDC, SMP, Kolkata on Design, Build, Finance, Operate  basis for a concession period of 30 years .
Shri Kumar stated that most of the PPPs are coming in the berth and terminal side and there is a lot of opportunity in the connectivity and services. “We need to look at multi-modal transport including rail terminals. We also need to have more avenues in the shipping services sector where PPP should be introduced,” he said.
Today, Bhrahmaputra Crackers and Polymers Ltd.  handed over their feasibility report for setting up crude import storage and dispatch terminal at Haldia to SMP Kolkata for taking the project forward.
The Conclave also discussed how to bring old operations to the new Model concession agreement. How to bring them to new tariff guideline; Opportunities of PPP in Coastal shipping, Hinterland connectivity; Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism; Opportunities and challenges in Maritime Financing and Insurance: Focus on Barge Industry; Customs Perspective: Initiatives on customs procedures facilitation at Indian Ports  Key issues and challenges, Future Initiative/Development; Promotion of Inland Waterways Transport and Ease of Doing Business with Customs officials.
Shri Kumar also appreciated the commissioning of the Rs 180 crore Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited at Nazirgunge, Howrah and said the yard will not only enable economic development in the close region, but will also provide direct and indirect employment opportunities as well as development of MSMEs and Ancillaries.
Among the dignitaries present were Shri Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India, Shri Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, Cochin Shipyard Ltd., Shri Gopal Krishna, Principal Programme Advisor, Cross Border Infrastructure and Connectivity Programme, USAID and Former Secretary, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, Shri Shambhu Singh, Former Special Secretary & Financial Adviser, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, Shri Dhruv Kotak, Chairman, Ports and Shipping, FICCI Committee on Transport Infrastructure and MD, JM Baxi Group, Shri A. K. Mehera, Dy. Chairman, HDC, Shri Samrat Rahi, Dy. Chairman, KDS.