Bhubaneswar, Mar 8 (Reporter) Paradip Port on Friday witnessed one of its kind EXIM Container Service at its PICT berth since the inception of the port. Paradip Port sources said the world’s biggest container line M/s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) commenced the Paradip shuttle service under the SE feeder corridor on Friday. MV MSC Tiger F made its maiden call at the PICT terminal. It has an LOA of 154.51 Meter and a Beam of 25.21 Meter. It will be a regular and seamless call for catering EXIM cargo through the port of Paradip as per the planned 3 calls in a month through the Paradip – Colombo route. The Ship embarked on its journey to Colombo Port with export Aluminum Cargo of 90 TEU on account of M/s Vedant and 36 TEU on account of M/s Jindal Stainless Limited. Gracing the occasion, PPA Chairman P L Haranadh said “It is a very special occasion for Paradip Port, as traditionally Paradip Port has been concentrating on Iron Ore, Coal and Crude Oil for the last 57 years since its traffic operation began in 1967. He said our approach was only towards improving the coal, iron ore, and crude oil traffic but it is time now to diversify the cargo basket, as an estimated 2 lakh TEU cargo is available in the hinterland of the Paradip Port. The combined efforts of the PPA and Odisha government have yielded successful results in attracting reputed container liners to PPA. The port, the Chairman said has a world-class terminal at PICT which is no less than any other container terminal in the country it has a 14.5mtr draft and state-of-the-art machinery to handle container traffic and it has a 5 MMT capacity. The Port, Haranadh said, is offering an unparalleled discount of 75 percent in vessel-related charges to interested container liners and no container scanning charges to boost container cargo. Henceforth, prospective clients from Odisha will be no more dependent on ports outside the state, he added. Principal Secretary, MSME Department of Odisha government Saswat Mishra said “This is the momentous occasion, for which the state has been waiting for decades. He said in line with MSC, soon another VGF agreement with container line M/s RCL for Paradip-Port Klang in Malaysia operation will be signed by the state government. With these two routes opening up, the much-needed infrastructure and logistics support for Odisha industries will open up, Mishra said. Deputy Chairman of PPA Nilabhra Dasgupta said with the cooperation of the major shipping lines, the days will not be far when PPA will be positioned as one of the most modern and most competitive container Ports. Several senior PPA officers were present during the flagging Ceremony. It may be noted that in the Industry's first scheme of things, the Odisha government will pay $ 200 per 20-foot equivalent Unit (TEU) as viability gap funding (VGF) if the EXIM traffic volumes during a Ship call at Paradip Port falls below the minimum guaranteed level of 250 TEUs...////...