The Hindu Business Line : Hooghly Dock upbeat on orders under negotiation

HOOGHLY Dock & Port Engineers Ltd (Hooghly Dock), the boat-building company under the Shipping Ministry, is pinning hopes on Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) and the Directorate General of Lighthouse & Lightship (DGLL) for securing orders for various types of vessels it is confident of constructing. The orders are currently under various stages of negotiation.

Thus, the negotiation with IWAI is believed to have reached the final stage for securing the order for two cargo vessels of 300-dwt each. The total value of the order is estimated at Rs 7 crore. Once ready, the vessels are to be deployed for cargo movement on various national waterways.

Similarly, it is hoped that the Ministry might select Hooghly Dock on nomination basis for placing the order for the virtual jetty, estimated to cost more than Rs 8 crore, proposed to be installed by KPT at Saugor Island to handle such vessels as will not be able to call either at Haldia or at Kolkata dock system due to the draft restriction in the Hooghly river.

At Saugor Island, the available draft is higher than that at Haldia or the Kolkata Dock System. The order for virtual jetty, once placed, has to be executed within one year, it is learnt. The successful construction of the lighthouse tender vessel, Sagardeep II, has led the Ministry to believe that Hooghly Dock is capable of delivering on time.

The company is hopeful of securing another order from DGLL for constructing a lighthouse tender vessel, Deepstambh.

It might be noted that Hooghly Dock posted an operating profit of Rs 1.5 crore for the first time in 2001-02. The total workforce is 800, brought down from 1,200 a couple of years ago through the introduction of voluntary retirement scheme. The overtime payment has been reduced to virtually nil.

In past 28 months, Hooghly Dock delivered five vessels to IWAI, KPT and DGLL. The delivery of these vessels was due much earlier. The delay was due to various factors, so much so that the orders were about to be cancelled. The orders were renegotiated and the delivery of the vessels ensured. In addition, the company delivered five pontoons to IWAI during the period.

The company's current order book position includes the completion of the construction of a 400 capacity passenger vessel for the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and construction of four specialised pontoons fitted with cranes for IWAI.

The construction of the passenger vessels was delayed by many years for various reasons. The total cost of the vessel has been revised to Rs 76 crore, of which nearly Rs 40 crore was paid earlier. Hooghly Dock will now complete the construction of the vessel at an additional cost of Rs 30 crore or so. The four pontoons will cost Rs 4 crore.

Meanwhile, Mr B K Bhowmik has been appointed the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hooghly Dock. Mr Bhowmik was earlier General Manager in the same organisation. Ever since Commander A.K. Putiah resigned as the CMD of Hooghly Dock in September 2000, Mr K.K. Chakraborti, Regional General Manager of the Shipping Corporation of India, was given the additional charge as CMD of Hooghly Dock. On December 24, Mr Chakraborti handed over the charge to Mr Bhowmik.

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