The Republic Day was celebrated by the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) here with much enthusiasm with PPT Chairman Sudhansu Sekahara Mishra attending as the chief guest unfurling the National Flag and taking salute in the march-past of CISF jawans and students of the Paradip College and different schools of the township along with a platoon of port employees retiring during 2014.

PPT Chairman Mishra said the Paradip  Port has cemented its place as the Numero Uno port in terms of capacity among all Major Ports which has been increased to 108.50 million tonnes per annum with addition of 2.50 MT after completion of capital dredging. By handling more than 55 MT of cargo during the current financial year, the port has been maintaining its second position in terms of traffic handled among all Major Ports.  With an annual growth of more than 22 per cent  during the current financial year, the port also secured No. 2 slot in terms of growth rate among all Major Ports.

He also said an MoU was signed with the GAIl (India) recently for setting up of an lNG terminal at the port of 5 MMTPA capacities in the first phase which would be enhanced to 10 MMTPA in the second phase.

PSU RITES has been engaged to make traffic study, creation of new handling facilities, setting up of logistic park and assessment of rail connectivity.

New infrastructures are being developed with the help of the East Coast Railway to address operational bottlenecks resulting in slow evacuation of cargo from the port. He said the port is in the process of tendering the existing manual and mechanical iron ore plots for allotment to potential iron ore exporters, which would boost the iron ore traffic.

Initiatives have been taken to commence bunkering operation through self-propelled barges to meet the longstanding needs of vessels calling at the east coast of India and neighbouring countries. He also said steps have already been taken to have a blood bank in the Port Trust Hospital.

The port is also in talk with the nearby corporate houses to set up a super-speciality hospital at Paradip. At the end, Mishra urged all concerned to work together resolutely for development of the port to realise the cherished dream of making it the number one among all Indian Ports by 2023.