Lifting of curbs boost cargo handling

Visakhapatnam: The Central government relaxation orders for shipment of cargo in any ship has been giving good results and the cargo handling operations increasing in the present fiscal. The NDA government relaxed the cabotage law to increase the cargo handling operations at a large scale four months ago, which is giving excellent results in the cargo handling operations.

In India, the cargo should be moved from one port to other ports, the stakeholders are supposed to be sending their cargo through Indian owned ships or Indian flagships only. Though the foreign ships are available for shipment, the port users are not eligible for shipment of their cargo.

The port users and cargo handling operators are demanding that the Centre relax the restrictions to use the foreign ships. However, with pressure from the Indian flagships, the Centre has not taken any decision on the issue. However, the Ministry of Shipping recently relaxed the restrictions and passed orders for shipment of the cargo in foreign vessels also.

“Yes. There is a big change in the cargo handling operations not only at Visakhapatnam port, but also in all major ports in the country. All these years, due to restrictions, our hands have been tied and completely dependent upon Indian ships only. However, now, we are sending the cargo even in foreign vessels,” a senior manager of a cargo handling company Ramakrishna said.

According to sources in the Ministry of Shipping, the owners of Indian ships all these years influenced the government. However, the government informed the owners of Indian ships that the government relaxing the restrictions and asked them to prepare according to the new move. After the relaxation of the restrictions, there is a big change in the container shipment at Visakhapatnam Container Terminal of Visakhapatnam Port Trust.

In an average, the Visakhapatnam Container Terminal is handling 38,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per month. After the relaxation of the restrictions, there is a big change in the container handling in the Visakhapatnam Container Terminal. During the past four months, about 4,000 TEUs increased per month and the terminal is handling over 41,000 TEUs per month from Visakhapatnam port.

“It is true that after relaxation of the restrictions there is a change in the cargo handling in the ports. In fact, in the old procedures to increase 500 TEUs it used to take at least three years. Relaxation of curbs is a big boon to Indian economy and all the port stakeholders across the country are happy,” a senior official of Visakhapatnam Port Trust told The Hans India.