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Calcutta, Sept. 12: Private port equipment operator Haldia Bulk Terminal Ltd and the Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) have thrashed out an arrangement to keep two crucial berths at the Haldia port in operation.
Both the parties today appeared before Calcutta High Court, where the CPT had filed a case against the private firm, announcing an agreement to end the impasse that would have crippled one of eastern India’s busiest ports.
The court disposed of the case by directing the parties to adhere to the solution. “I am happy that the CPT and Haldia Bulk Terminal have reached a common ground within the ambit of the existing contractual agreement,” CPT chairman Manish Jain said.
Under the arrangement, the CPT will allocate ships carrying dry bulk cargo such as coal and iron ore to berths 2 and 8 where Haldia Bulk Terminal runs mechanised operations through mobile cranes.
Haldia Bulk Terminal, a joint venture between Mumbai-based ABG and French firm LDA, had accused the port of not allocating enough ships to its berths leading to losses. It had also threatened to suspend operations. The CPT had moved the high court to prevent the operator from doing so.
The board of trustee of the Haldia port will meet on Friday to discuss the issue. Jain said the port would allocate cargo without impacting the business of other operators in berths 4A and 12.
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