Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, formerly Calcutta Port Trust, registered a modest cargo growth in FY24 even as it recorded a 65 per cent jump in net surplus.
India’s oldest port handled 66.4 million tonnes (mt) cargo in FY24, growing by 1.1 per cent from 65.66 mt in FY23, which was the highest in its history. However, it generated a net surplus of Rs 501.73 crore in the last fiscal compared with Rs 304.07 crore achieved in the previous year.
Port officials said SMP could have achieved a higher tonnage had the port not faced partial breakdown in transhipment operations at high sea. The operations generate considerable cargo for the riverine port which cannot handle big ships at Haldia and Calcutta due to low river draught.
However, the floating crane which handles large ships at high seas has now been fixed and pressed to operation, port officials informed.
While Haldia Dock Complex, which handled 49.54 mt, reported growth in respect of petroleum cargo vegetable oil, iron ore, coal and metallurgical coke, Calcutta Dock Complex, that handled 16.85 mt, registered growth in finished fertiliser, timber and containers.
SMP chairman Rathendra Raman informed capacity augmentation projects in PPP mode, strengthening and mechanisation of berth no. 7 & 8 of Netaji Subhas Dock at KDS are likely to be awarded this year.
