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.
During the year, as many as 1636 vessels called on the port as against 1452 in the previous year.
?We have undertaken various expansion and modernisation programmes to make the port more competitive?, said the port chairman K Raghuramaiah.
Pointing to the huge demand for import of coking coal by the steel industries in the hinterland and export of iron ore by the mining companies, he 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, repectively.
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.
Raghuramaiah said plans are on the cards to develop a southern dock system, investing Rs 530 crore, with three berths for handling containers and POL products. The feasibility study is in progress and a formal proposal will be sent to the ministry before June 2008, he added.