Authorities reopen dry port at Jalna after partial tax payment

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Two days after the dry port at Jalna was sealed over non-payment of tax, revenue department authorities on Tuesday opened the mega logistic facility after partial payment by the officials concerned.Jalna tehsildar Chhaya Pawar, while talking to TOI, said the dry port officials have made a partial payment of Rs20 lakh against the total outstanding of Rs52 lakh."The officials assured us of paying the remaining dues towards the non-agricultural tax in the next few weeks," she said.Coming under the aegis of the Navi Mumbai-based Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), the dry port along with Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) was considered as game changer for Marathwada.While the facility remained in the news for the wrong reason, local industry leaders have sought organised measures to ensure expected functioning of the dry port."The dry port has no dearth of infrastructure now and only attention needs to be paid towards operational issues. The facility still lacks effective rail connectivity among other issues," an industrialist said.One Nagpur-based firm in Feb secured a 15-year contract to operate the dry port, which is also known as the Multi-Modal Logistics ParkHailed as the country's first inland dry port spread over 400 acre of land near Jalna, the dry port was virtually inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on March 12, 2024 with handling capacity up to 10 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).