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Jun 17, 2007 9:30 AM |
Foundation stone laid for the unique and innovative project
(Dated Jan 07)
Kottayam: An inland port and container terminal, India’s first such project, to be implemented as a Public-Private Participation (PPP) effort, is to come up in Nattakom here, at a cost of Rs. 9.5 Cr. The foundation stone for the unique and innovative project was formally laid by Sri. Elamaram Kareem, Hon’ble Minister-Industries, on December 11, 2006. Being built with the active support of KINFRA, the nodal agency in Kerala for the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India, the Kottayam Port project is a joint venture enterprise of the Govt. of Kerala (49%) and the Kottayam Port & Container Terminal Services (KPACT) Pvt. Ltd. (51%), and is promoted by the South Indian Chamber of Ccommerce & Industry. State Legislators, Sri. V.N. Vasavan and Sri. Thomas Chazhikadan, and MDKINFRA, Sri. A.S. Suresh Babu were among those who spoke at the stone lying function. Sri. Wilson Jacob, is the Managing Director of KPACT. “Located at a vantage point on the banks of river Kottar as it joins the Vembanad Lake, this new project will make it possible to move cargo through inland waterways at incredibly low costs”, MD Willson Jacob told KINFRA News. “Cargo vessels carrying the hill produces of the districts of Kottayam Pathanamthitta, and Idukki will pass through Kumarakom, Thanneermukkom and Vaikkom over the Vembanad waters to reach the barge terminal in the Cochin Port.” Each barge is slated to carry ten containers. Cochin Port Trust has agreed to provide ramp jetty facility for the docking of the barges from Kottayam Port. Most modern infrastructure facilities including a 40,000 Sft. warehouse and on-line tracking of cargo movement will, hopefully, help enhance the export potential of cash crops and other specialties from the region to reach the global market with a competitive edge.
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