Kerala's first full-fledged private container freight station at Kochi, with all the modern facilities for stuffing and de-stuffing of containers, is to be inaugurated on Friday.
The project has been promoted by the Falcon Group at a total project cost of Rs 25 crore.
The project which is located on 10.2 acres of land adjacent to the existing Integrated Services Complex of the Falcon Group is to be inaugurated by the Kerala Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan. The new container freight station would also have facilities such as in-house custom clearance facilities.
Global maritime hub
Addressing a press conference in Kochi, Mr N.A. Mohammed Kutty, Managing Director of Falcon Group, said: "The container freight station has been set up in the backdrop of Kerala's emergence as a major international maritime hub with work on the ambitious Vallarpadom international container transshipment terminal (ICTT) gaining momentum."
The CFS has a total operational area of 10.24 acres for stacking containers and cargo, and 50,000 sq. ft of bonded warehousing facilities - one of the largest such facilities in the country.
This is proposed to be increased to 1.5 lakh sq. ft in the coming six months.
The CFS is also located in close proximity to the proposed rail and road links to the international container transshipment terminal, Mr Kutty said.
Ancillary facilities
Ancillary facilities included computerised documentation with EDI facility, high-level scrutiny and security with TV surveillance for covered as well as open area, fumigation, reefing container plug-in and pre-trip inspection facilities. Equipment such as forklifts, reach stackers, front loaders, side shifting empty handlers and cranes have been imported for the CFS.
Initially we hope to handle 1,200 TEUs a month. Once the ICTT becomes fully operational, the turnover and volume are expected to go up manifold. Mr Kutty said that he expected a minimum annual turnover of Rs 10 crore.
The company also planned to set up similar integrated facilities in various other parts of the country and popularise the concept in a big way as it has tremendous prospect in the light of India emerging as a major international market place.
The Falcon Group is also at a very advanced stage of setting up a special economic zone in Kerala exclusively for the services sector.
It is to be set up in an area of 250 acres in collaboration with Container Corporation and the Chennai-based SICAL group.
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