Industry associations in Tiruchi region have been emphasising the need for establishment of an inland container depot here, in keeping with the district's status as a major fabrication hub.
Capacity for up to seven lakh tonnes of fabrication activities per annum is available in Tiruchi, accounting for fifty percent of the requirement in the entire State. Major extent of exports in defence products will also have to be carried out in future. This being the case, an inland container depot for Tiruchi is a necessity, Rajappa Rajkumar, president of BHEL Small Scale Industries Association, said.
The BHELSIA and Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries' Association had, during March, highlighted this demand at the export promotion meeting convened by the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India.
The Central Governnment, earlier this year, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee to act as a single window for clearance of proposals to set up dry ports/Inland Container Depot (ICDs)/Container Freight Stations (CFSs)/Air Freight Stations (AFSs).
Tiruchi currently holds the status of the Plant Quarantine Station for the Container Freight Stations in Tirupur, Salem, Coimbatore, and Singanallur.
There is another plant quarantine station in Tuticorin for the southern districts. Container Freight Stations in Minjur, Virugambakkam, Numbal, Tirujvottiyur, and Manali are served by the Regional Plant Qurantine Station, Chennai.
Meanwhile, the Export-Import Federation - Tiruchi (EIFT), has submitted a representation to the Chairman of V.O.C. Chidambaranar Port Trust, seeking speedy measures for transshipment facility.
The president of EIFT Kanagasabapathy said exporters in Tiruchi faced difficulty during the pandemic time for shipping their products to their customers.
When India lifted the lockdown, Sri Lanka imposed curbs, and the shipping got affected, Mr. Kanagasabapathy said.
"We are totally dependent on Colombo or Mundra Port in Gujarat. It costs more time and money," he said.
Tamil Nadu being a leading industrialised State, transshipment facility will help in achieving the Chief Minister's vision to become a one trillion dollar economy by 2030. The transshipment port will help exporters in agriculture and engineering sectors in the region.
Likewise, a cargo facility in Tiruchi Airport to help air shipment exports from southern districts of Tamil Nadu will also make the State more competitive in export market, he said.
The EIFT had written a similar letter seeking conversion of Tuticorin Port into a transshipment port for mother vessels to the Chief Minister's Office last December.
