Kolkata, Nov 2 (IANS): The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) on Thursday said that it has registered a 12 per cent growth in traffic handling during the April to September period of the current fiscal and the port authority would likely float a tender to appoint a consultant for the feasibility study of the upcoming Tajpur port.

"The Kolkata Port handled 27.565 million tonnes (mt) of traffic in April to September of 2017-18 over 24.623 mt handled in the same period last year, recording a high growth of 12 per cent, much higher than the average growth rate of 3.24 per cent clocked by Indian major ports," KoPT Chairman Vinit Kumar told reporters here.

The Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) handled 19.124 mt in the first six months of 2017-18, registering a growth of 17.74 per cent over 16.242 mt handled in the corresponding period last year.

The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) handled cargo throughput of 8.441 mt in the first half of the current fiscal as against 8.381 mt in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

He said the authority has made progress in terms of the proposed Tajpur project.

"We are moving forward for the Tajpur port and are going forward for the feasibility report. Probably, in the next 10-15 days, we will float the tender for appointing a consultant for the feasibility study," he said.

Kumar said the port has been dealing with issues related to draft and dredging.

When asked about future planning for growth, he said: "As far as the issues related to draft are concerned, in Haldia, we are moving out of the in-bounded dock and we are creating a terminal outside so that we can take care of the tidal restrictions to some extent."