Union minister opposes extension of KoPT limit

Bhubaneswar, Feb 7 (PTI) Voicing concern overextension of limits of Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), UnionMinister Srikant Jena today sought immediate review of thedecision as it would block the entire coast of north Orissawhere seven new ports are proposed to be developed.

"In fact, the entire deep sea alongside north Orissawould now fall under the limits of KoPT which would seriouslyjeopardise the maritime activities of the state," he said in aletter to Minister of Shipping G K Vasan.

"I am told the revised limits of KoPT extends 200 kmsouth of Haldia into Bay of Bengal covering an area of 28,646sq km. This completely blocks the entire coast of north Orissawhere seven new ports are proposed to be developed," saidJena, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers.

Some of them like Dhamra Port were in final stage ofdevelopment whereas others were in process, he said adding thenotification with Shipping Ministry''s approval would affectdevelopment of new ports through PPP as laid down in theMaritime Development Policy.

The extended limits of KoPT clearly encroaches intothe already notified limits of Bichitrapur, SubarnarekhaMouth, Bahabalpur, Inchudi, Chandipur, Chudamani and to someextent Dhamra Port, the union minister said.

"In fact, it forecloses orderly development of moderndeep ports along the coast of north Orissa nearer the deep seajust to facilitate transloading operation in shallow ports faraway from the deep sea," the senior Congress leader said.

Even the borrow area for sand required forreclamation of ports which are a few kilometres away wouldnow fall in the limits of KoPT, he said adding the move hasled to a lot of discontentment among the people of Orissa.

Jena sought Vasan''s urgent intervention in the issue.

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