The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port re-introduces handling charges on ICD containers

THE Cochin Port Trust (COPT) has re-introduced handling charges on ICD containers by rail with the approval of the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP).

In the case of 20-foot containers, the tariff regulator has approved a rate of Rs 500 for empty and Rs 800 for loaded containers. Whereas, the rates for 40-foot containers would be Rs 750 for empty and Rs 1,200 for loaded containers, a notification issued by TAMP has said.

The rates approved by TAMP will be ceiling rates in line with the general policy decision of the Government and would come into force with retrospective effect from January 29, 2004 when the existing Scale of Rates (SoR) was implemented by the port trust.

The existing SoR notified by the Authority on January 14, 2004 does not prescribe any rate for handling ICD containers by rail, though the previous SoR of 1999 had contained such rates.

The Cochin Port Trust said that this tariff item was not included in its proposal for general revision of SoR as the Container Corporation of India (Concor) had proposed to transport the ICD containers from its rail terminal by road utilising its own vehicle in which it was required to pay only one lift-off charge on the respective box at the container terminal. "But, due to some reasons, the proposal of Concor could not be implemented", a Shipping Ministry official said.

Given this backdrop, the Cochin Port Trust had urged TAMP to re-introduce the handling charges on ICD containers by rail as per its pre-revised SoR.

"The COPT has sought to re-introduce the earlier approved rate as a revised arrangement for handling ICD containers planned with Concor did not materialise. Since the operation earlier followed will continue to be in force for ICD containers, there may not be any objection to continue with the rate prescribed therefore in the 1999 SoR", the TAMP said.