Jalna Dry Port Gets Customs Status

Jalna, May 29 (PTI) The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has granted customs port status to the Jalna Dry Port for import and export operations, aimed at boosting trade and industry in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

The development will allow the dry port (inland container depot) to handle imports, exports and other customs-related processing activities.

The notification, issued on Monday by Under Secretary Supriya Chandran, has been published in the Gazette of India.

Strategically located near the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and along the major national transportation routes, the Jalna Dry Port has been developed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). It is currently maintained by a Nagpur-based company and has steadily emerged as a key inland trade hub.

Although not a seaport, the facility enables customs clearance and storage of goods before they are transported to and from major ports like Mumbai Port and JNPT via road and rail.

In the first phase, a multi-modal logistic park of Rs 327 crore will be developed by the Nagpur-based company at the dry port, an official said.

"This is a major boost for local businesses and the Marathwada region," Jalna Steel Association president Ghanshyam Goyal said.

"Earlier, traders had to rely on distant ports for customs clearance, which increased costs and caused delays. With Jalna now empowered to handle these operations, we expect smoother logistics and faster turnaround times," he said.

Jalna is known as a hub for steel, seed, and silk industries. The dry port is expected to bring significant benefits to industries operating in these sectors, as this will not only reduce dependency on ports in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai but also attract new investments in the logistics and warehousing sector around Jalna, Goyal added.

The dry port was sanctioned in 2014 by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. About Rs 85 crore was spent on acquiring 185 hectares of land for the project.

Infrastructure such as a railway line from Dinegaon to the dry port and a boundary wall has already been completed.