#Haldia port cargo handling contract under #CBI scanner

CBI has started the probe on the financial scam at Haldia port under under Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).A PIL filed at the Calcutta High Court related with the financial scam at Haldia port has regularly been heard by the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra. One major focus of the present CBI probe is to find how one single company — Ripley & Co — carried out cargo handling operations in ten out of the 14 berths of Haldia Port without sharing any revenue with the Kolkata Port Trust.
Earlier Bharuch BJP MP Mansukhbhai Vasava had highlighted the financial malpractice and theft of national resources/revenue at 12 major Indian ports amounting to over Rs 8 lakh crore.He also wrote a letter to the then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. In his complaint, Mr Vasava has alleged that a group of handling agents freely enter into contracts with the exporters/importers and charge them as per their contracted terms rates not approved by TAMP/Central government which is a statutory requirement under Section 48 of MPT Act, 1963. These private handling agents, in order to expand and maintain their monopoly, have been ensuring that most of the members of the other interest groups comprising the Board of Trustees of the Major Ports of India are those who owe allegiance to these private handling agents.
CBI has asked the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of KoPT to hand over around 35 to 40 important documents related to the cargo handling, shore operation, tendering and some other issues within a month or face action. CBI has lodged complaint against former and present chairman, deputy chairman of KoPT and directors of private handling agents.