Work on the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises' Rs. 47-crore container freight station that can hold nearly 5,000 containers at a time will begin on the Travancore Cochin Chemicals' property at Aluva on Wednesday.
Industries Minister Elamaram Karim will lay the foundation stone for the CFS that will make use of the container traffic generated by the upcoming Vallarpadam container terminal. It is expected to handle some three million containers a year.
The CFS is being located on an 8.5 acre property leased from the public-sector TCC for 30 years. It will have stuffing-destuffing facilities, a 6,600-sq. ft. warehouse and state-of-the-art equipment for container handling. It will function under the direct control of the Customs.
A press release from the Industries Department said that the CFS was an outcome of the LDF Government's policy decision to make use of unused resources of public sector undertakings for industrial progress. The CFS would pay an annual rent of Rs. 75 lakh to the TCC.
