PATNA: Good news for industrialists in the state.Bihar is all set to have its first dry port at Bihta that would facilitate import/export and reduce the cost of goods transportation in the state considerably. Goods can be exported to or imported from anywhere across the world by spending a considerably less amount.

A logistics cum industrial park to be built by Delhi-based Pristine Magadh Infrastructure would be operational at Bihta by October this year. It would be the first inland container depot (dry port) cum private freight terminal in the state. A dry port is similar to any sea port except that it is in a landlocked area. It is a centre for transshipment of sea cargo and has container yards, cold storages, warehouses, railway sidings, cargo-handling equipment and administrative services for export and import clearances.

The state government on Tuesday leased out nearly 24 acres of land of Bihta Sugar Mill to the Delhi-based company for setting up the park. "The park would provide direct connectivity with all major ports of the country and goods would be imported/exported faster and cheaper. We would provide a door-to-door service and would be investing about Rs100 crore in three years in the project. It would generate employment for about 3,000 persons (including labour, semiskilled and skilled)," said Rajnish Kumar, director, Pristine group. He cited an example of maize and said the dry port would reduce the loss incurred in maize transportation by almost 15% to 20%.

A team of Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries (Bhad met the then deputy chairman of planning commission Pranab Mukherjee, the then finance minister Manmohan Singh and others on August 28, 1991, with an application demanding a dry port in Bihar. "The news of dry port in Bihar sends out a good message to industrialists and would encourage export, especially of goods such as makhana, litchi etc," BCCIpresident P K Agrawal told TOI. It would boost trade in the state, he said.

After signing the lease contract, state sugarcane minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha said, "The land of Bihta Sugar Mill was lying unused. In a viability assessment, it was found that its revival would not be feasible. So, we decided to allot the land for setting up a different industry."

The state has leased the land for 60 years with an extension period of 30 years. Neighbouring Uttar Pradesh has dry ports at Dadri, Ghaziabad and Kanpur (set up by Pristine group).

Also present on the occasion was Sudhir Kumar, sugarcane industry secretary, who said that 23.78 acre of land of Bihta sugar mill had been allotted to the company. Any previous liabilities of the mill would be borne by the state government. "The project was much needed and would play the role of a catalyst in the overall development of the state," said Kumar.