G Jagannath Rao

Paradip, April 21: Paradip Port Trust (PPT) chairman G. Jagannath Rao took voluntary retirement from service yesterday.

Rao, who was to retire on May 31, 2013, cited personal reasons for his decision. “My domestic preoccupations forced me to quit the job,” he said.

He resigned yesterday after the Union shipping ministry approved his application. Rao handed over the charges to his deputy, vice-chairman S. Ananth Kumar Bose.

Rao, who assumed charge on January 6, 2011, had a mixed innings as PPT chairman. He took initiatives to streamline some major infrastructure development projects that faced environment clearance obstacles. But his term witnessed a downslide in annual cargo handling and consequent dip in revenue returns mainly because of a countrywide fall in iron ore trade.

Rao’s quitting the top post has triggered speculations among his subordinates and trade unionists. Insiders said a lucrative job offer in a major private port prompted him to seek voluntary retirement.

Rao joined PPT in 1981 as material manager and continued in that capacity till 1996. Prior to the PPT assignment, he was chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust. Earlier, he was deputy chairman of Chennai Port Trust and New Mangalore Port Trust.

During his stint as PPT chairman, Rao had wanted to set up a satellite port at Bahuda Mohana near Berhampur in Ganjam district on the southern coast of the state. He had sent a proposal to the state government in this regard with a request for provision of 2,500 acres for the port.

Towards the end of his tenure, he was instrumental in negotiating with the state government to bring to an end to the land row between the PPT and the district administration.

In 2009-10, Paradip port signed a concession agreement with selected bidders for an iron ore berth and a coal berth of 10MTPA capacity on a build, operate and transfer basis through public-private partnership. But this agreement was made without approval from the ministry of environment and forest.

Later, the PPT obtained environment clearance and stage I forest clearance for the two projects because of Rao’s persistent efforts, said port sources.