Bengal
PMO asks port trust for scam details
- The Statesman
- 03 Jul 2014
On the heels of a cbi enquiry into the multi crore scam
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 2 July
In the wake of the massive financial irregularities facing Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), 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).
Details have also been sought on the nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry selected in the Board of Trustees of Kolkata Port Trust for the last five years.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has already started a probe on 19 June in connection with the investigation into the alleged issue of multi-crore corruption at Haldia port which has been on the Shipping Ministry’s list of top problems facing the KoPT.
The multi-crore scam involving shore-handling of cargo at Haldia port could just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what has been going on in all the 12 ports across the country.
Complaints to authorities and related documents suggest that the scam could touch astronomical levels, putting to shame the much talked about CWG, 2G or 3G scams.
As per the complaint lodged with the Union government, the total financial losses suffered by the government over the past 40 years on account of the alleged illegal shore-handling of cargo could be more than Rs 8 lakh crores.
The Statesman had earlier reported on the Haldia port scam on the basis of the Rajya Sabha secretariat memorandum, CAG and parliamentary panel reports, which highlighted major discrepancies in appointment of cargo-handling agents and disposing waste oil from the ports.
The CAG had also pointed out appointment of unauthorised agents or handling agents for onshore operation violating the provisions of the Major Port Trust Act.
Besides, based on the complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janta Party MP from Bharuch in Gujarat, Mr Mansukh Bhai D Vasava, the Union Shipping Ministry has also swung into action against other 11 major ports on the same financial scam issues.
In the latest, the Prime Minister’s Office 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 Prime Minister’s Office 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 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.
The Prime Minister’s Office also wants to know if efforts were made by the port for auctioning of onshore handling activities, and the status of such efforts.
The Prime Minister’s Office has asked if any proposal was approved by Board of Trustees of the Kolkata Port Trust for revenue earning from on-shore handling agents and its status.
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 2 July
In the wake of the massive financial irregularities facing Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), 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).
Details have also been sought on the nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry selected in the Board of Trustees of Kolkata Port Trust for the last five years.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has already started a probe on 19 June in connection with the investigation into the alleged issue of multi-crore corruption at Haldia port which has been on the Shipping Ministry’s list of top problems facing the KoPT.
The multi-crore scam involving shore-handling of cargo at Haldia port could just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what has been going on in all the 12 ports across the country.
Complaints to authorities and related documents suggest that the scam could touch astronomical levels, putting to shame the much talked about CWG, 2G or 3G scams.
As per the complaint lodged with the Union government, the total financial losses suffered by the government over the past 40 years on account of the alleged illegal shore-handling of cargo could be more than Rs 8 lakh crores.
The Statesman had earlier reported on the Haldia port scam on the basis of the Rajya Sabha secretariat memorandum, CAG and parliamentary panel reports, which highlighted major discrepancies in appointment of cargo-handling agents and disposing waste oil from the ports.
The CAG had also pointed out appointment of unauthorised agents or handling agents for onshore operation violating the provisions of the Major Port Trust Act.
Besides, based on the complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janta Party MP from Bharuch in Gujarat, Mr Mansukh Bhai D Vasava, the Union Shipping Ministry has also swung into action against other 11 major ports on the same financial scam issues.
In the latest, the Prime Minister’s Office 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 Prime Minister’s Office 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 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.
The Prime Minister’s Office also wants to know if efforts were made by the port for auctioning of onshore handling activities, and the status of such efforts.
The Prime Minister’s Office has asked if any proposal was approved by Board of Trustees of the Kolkata Port Trust for revenue earning from on-shore handling agents and its status.
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