Kochi: Aimed at tapping growing business opportunities from the Vallarpadam Terminal, the State-owned Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE) has set up a container freight station at Kalamassery.
The Rs 25-crore venture, established at 8.5 acres owned by the company, would cater to the emerging needs of the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam.
The facility has an 80,000 sq ft customs-bonded cargo handling centre to manage export and import operations and can handle 1,000 containers at a time, Mayin Haji, Chairman and Febi Varghese, Managing Director, KSIE, said.
All modern facilities have been incorporated for the security and smooth operations of the freight station in accordance with international standards. It can provide direct employment to 100 eligible candidates and indirect employment to 500 persons.
KSIE has arranged facilities for container stuffing and de-stuffing and for the smooth movement of cargo. The project would also be helpful in providing time-bound services to the Exim trade after the Customs clearance proceedings, they said.
Kerala Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, who had recently inaugurated the facility expressed the hope that the new CFS could play a leading role in the movement of transhipment cargo from this region, which is emerging as a leading destination connecting the global shipping trade.
According to KSIE officials, the company had ventured into CFS as part of its diversification process by utilising its land availability to build up the facility. Close proximity to the Vallarpadam terminal and road connectivity are considered an added advantage for the CFS, set up by the company.
Sources in the shipping fraternity said that logistics business is expected to pick up in the region offering good business opportunities for CFS operations following the relaxation of Cabotage restrictions.
It is pointed out that the port management has also planned CFS’s in order to develop Vallarpadam into a major logistics hub by earmarking 54 acres near the ICTT with private participation.
Besides, the setting up of more number of CFS would generate more job opportunities, the sources said.
The CFS facility near ICTT considered being a great support to the traders as they can meet all their shipping requirements under one roof, that too near the ICTT, the sources added.
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