The Kandla Port Custom House Agents Association (KPCHAA) has urged the Shipping Minister GK Vasan to terminate the lease of Port lands only if the land is required by the Port Trust for developing its own projects, and not for transfer at higher lease charges to others.
In a communiqué to GK Vasan, Mohan Karia, KPCHAA’s Coordinator, Port-Customs, suggested that a reasonable increase be levied on the original leaseholder, who had, in fact, developed the land through hard work and toil over the years.
He pointed out that while it was essential that the Port Trust take back the leased land to expand Port activities in national interest, it had been observed in many cases that instead of being used for Port development, the land was offered to private parties for operating their facilities. This "leads to chaos, he underscored.
The communiqué called on the Minister to consider this suggestion while finalising the Land Policy for Major Ports, as it would "avoid hardships to common users and Port administration as well.