Chennai Port Trust comes up with 20 project proposals

At a time when port users have been complaining about the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT)'s alleged lack of interest in providing improved facilities to the trade, the port has come up with proposals for 20 projects for facilities on its premises and in the common area. Talking to The Hindu, ChPT chairman Atulya Misra said: “We are having several ongoing projects at the port and these 20 projects seem to have come up in one stroke. These proposals have been mooted by the two-member expert committee of Capt P.C.K Mohan, Chairman, National Shipping Board, and G.J. Rao, chairman, Paradip Port Trust, who were asked to suggest ways to improve ChPT. Right now, we can't say how many of them will be implemented.” Another official said: “For the first time, we have mooted 20 proposals and invited expressions of interest (EoI) for 16 projects through public-private-partnership mode and rest through consultancy services. Besides, there are other four schemes for which we had already obtained EoIs. These new proposals can be broadly divided into three categories – improved facilities for the port users; putting the port land for better use; and corporate social responsibility.” Interested persons have been told to submit proposals by April 11.