Calcutta, April 21: The Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) may buy out the mobile harbour cranes of private operator Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) to improve the productivity of Haldia port.

The matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the CPT's trustee board, the highest decision-making body of the port.

The plan to buy out the cranes from HBT, which left Haldia in November 2012 alleging violence laced with political interference, comes after the port failed to get a new operator to run berths 2 and 8.

"Since we have not received any bid for the mobile harbour cranes (MHCs), the port may consider buying the equipment from HBT and running them itself," a senior CPT official said.

Yesterday was the last day for the submission of bids for the cranes. The CPT had kept a ceiling rate of around Rs 55 a tonne to operate the cranes.

According to the valuation done by Mecon, six cranes will cost the port around Rs 80 crore.

"The margin in the MHC business is low, while the investment is high. If we want to increase the productivity of the port and check the cost, the CPT has to buy out the cranes from HBT," the official added.

However, six companies took part in the bidding for the handling of cargo on the shore. The companies can charge no more than Rs 120 a tonne and will have to share at least Rs 15 per tonne with the CPT.

The six companies are Orissa Manganese & Minerals (an Adhunik group company of Calcutta), Om Metals Ltd (with J S Marines) Sree Shyam Services, EC Bose & Co, IRC Commercial Pvt Ltd and Global Enterprise. Many of them already have a licence for shore handling in other berths.