Seeks details of cargo handling, tendering, licensing process, contractors, revenue earned from Kolkata Port Trust
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has sought details of cargo handling, tendering, the licensing process, contractors, revenue earned, etc, from the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) about the alleged irregularity in the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC). Details have also been sought on the nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry selected in the Board of Trustees of KoPT for the last five years.
The Government is enquiring into the country’s biggest scam involving Indian ports. Amid allegations of rampant corruption, monopoly and cartelization at the HDC, the Central Government has stepped in to get the full picture. It is alleged that KoPT officials have been favouring Ripley & Company and its sister concerns owned by Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose and his father Swapan Sadhan (Tutu) Bose, a former Trinamool MP, in getting cargo handling and other shore operations for a meagre Annual licence Fee of Rs 5,400. It is alleged this firm, in connivance with KoPT officials, has been bagging big deals for cargo and other shore operations and pocketing crores as profit from the port at the cost of the exchequer.
The PMO has sought detailed information on Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and HDC for the last five financial years lasting up to March 2014. A set of 16 questions have been put up to KoPT to answer, encompassing details of cargo operations in HDC and KDS. The PMO wants to know details of the total number of berths and the break-up of where cargo is handled mechanically and non-mechanically; berths where cargo handling is done partially mechanically on-board with Mobile Harbour Cranes and ship cranes by engaging contractors and shore handling done manually by private cargo handling agents. It also wants year-wise details of total cargo handled by KDS and HDC, average turnaround time for both mechanical and manual berths; revenue earned in berths operated by private handling agents as well as by the dock’s own arrangement/contractors.
The PMO has sought details of the private handling agents engaged in the port with date of issuance of licenses and the basis for their selection, amount paid by them, year-wise both as license fee and revenue. It wants to know if efforts were made by the port for auctioning of onshore handling activities, and the status of such efforts. The PMO has asked if any proposal was approved by Board of Trustees of the KoPT for revenue earning from on-shore handling agents and its status. Besides, copies of licensing policy for selection of private handling agents and the policy for selection of nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry has also been sought.
Modi’s office also wants to know the names of the nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry in the Board of Trustees for the last five years and their date of appointment, number of Port Advisory Committees with details and date of appointments made for KoPT, names of their members and the basis for making the Committee. The Pioneer on Monday reported about a complaint against a former Shipping Minister for having nominated six people allegedly close to him while the election Code of Conduct was in force. It is alleged that the cargo handling agents at HDC easily get permission to operate at the docks since they have “favourable” persons sitting in the Board of Trustees.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is already looking into the alleged involvement of some senior KoPT officials and loopholes in procedures that allowed Ripley & Co and its sister concerns promoted by Srinjoy Bose and his father Swapan Sadhan (Tutu) Bose to execute such a massive scam.