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Kochi port to develop SEZ with Kinfra

Our Bureau

COIMBATORE, June 20

THE Cochin Port Trust is working with the Kerala State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) for development of a special economic zone (SEZ) to be located in the South-end reclamation area of the Wellingdon Island.

Port authorities plan to develop it as an eco-friendly SEZ with private sector participation by giving thrust to promote agro-based export processing units.

The pre-feasibility study has been done on the proposed SEZ, which is to come up on a 50-acre site initially, which could be expanded later by adding another 250 acres, according to the Cochin Port Trust Chairman, Dr. Jacob Thomas.

Port officials hope to finalise the proposal for setting up the SEZ in about three months' time.

The promotion of SEZ in the vicinity of the Wellingdon island forms part of the business development strategy chalked up by the Kochi port authorities, who are currently engaged in expansion of the handling capacity of the Kochi port by promoting the Rs. 2,000 crore, two-stage Vallarpadam container transhipment terminal through private sector investment.

Besides promoting private entrepreneurship and the country's export capabilities, the SEZ would also help the development of the Kochi port, Dr. Jacob told press persons here.

He said, ``Barring the nationally called port-workers strikes, the Kochi port had witnessed not a single `local' strike in the last 10 years and the port today has the lowest pre-berthing detention time. The turn-around time for the ships at the Kochi p ort at 0.9 days is again the least among ports in the country. We want to project these positive features to the potential port-users.

The Kochi port handled a record 12.76 million tonnes of cargo during 1999-2000 fiscal including 12.47 lakh tonnes of container cargo hopes to clock 13.50 million tonnes for the 2000-2001 fiscal.