Paradip Port?one of the major ports of the country?has posted a high operating income of Rs 670.47 crore during 2007-08, as against Rs 640.37 crore in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
The Port reported a growth rate of 10.18% by handling an all-time record traffic of 42.44 million tonne, surpassing the previous record of 38.52 million tonne handled during 2006.
?We have undertaken various expansion and modernisation programmes to make theport more competitive?, said the port?s chairman
K Raghuramaiah. Pointing to the huge demand for import of coking coal by the steel industries and export of iron ore by the mining companies, Raghuramaiah said the port is proposing to construct one berth each for handling of iron ore and coal. The berths will draw investment of Rs 504.77 crore and Rs 387.83 crore.
In order to enable the port to receive bigger vessels, the channel is being deepened to 17.1 metre, he said. Dredging Corp of India has been entrusted for deepening of the entrance channel at a cost of Rs 253.36 crore.