The ministry of shipping (MoS) has requested the finance ministry to allocate about Tk 780 million for Payra seaport as operating cost and procure some equipment to make the country's third seaport operational, sources said.
Of the total amount Tk 91 million will be spent for day-to-day requirements of the port while Tk 697 million will be spent for buying cargo handling equipments, navigational gears, vehicles and infrastructure development.
Earlier, the chairman of Payra Port Authority Nizam Uddin Ahmed sought Tk 2.11 billion to carry out port activities in the coming fiscal year.
"We have requested the finance ministry to allocate the money considering the importance and potential of the port," a senior MoS official told the FE Wednesday.
He said once fully operational the port will play a significant role in development of south-western part of the country.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 19 last inaugurated the Payra seaport at Kalapara in Patuakhali district. But nearly three months after the inauguration the port is yet to be functional due to the absence of necessary steps and infrastructure, officials said.
An official said after the inauguration no vessels either anchored or left the port. "Apart from a formal ceremony no commercial activities are taking place there."
The MoS early this month asked the Payra Port Authority to prepare a time-bound plan to make the seaport operational. It also asked the authority to discuss with ministries of food and industries to import food grains and fertilisers through the port.
The authority has also been asked to organise seminar and discussions with participation of traders so that they use the port while importing or exporting goods. It was directed to carry out necessary infrastructural development, if needed, shortly so that the port can be made functional immediately.
In the absence of the formation of Payra Port Authority the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) had worked as implementing organisation of the new seaport. The CPA spent Tk 400 million from its own fund for land development, building a warehouse and procurement of pontoon, gangway and other necessary equipments for the seaport.
A senior official of the MoS said the port was constructed without carrying out necessary feasibility study and business model. Recently, the CPA has carried out a feasibility study on the port by International Water Modelling.
Shipping secretary Syed Monjurul Islam told the FE that a full-fledged feasibility study on the port will be carried out by appointing international firms shortly.
He said the port has huge potential of handling export and import cargoes for the country.
However, a senior official said the location of the seaport was not suitable. Ships over 4-metre draft would not be able to reach the site, he said adding at least 7-metre draft is needed for a seaport.
"To get necessary draft to help ships reach the port capital dredging of a wide area will be needed which will cost the public exchequer a lot," he said.
According to a technical committee report, the construction of the third seaport will cost around Tk 25 billion which also includes the construction of some 34-kilometre-long link road.
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