Republic Day celebrated at V.O. Chidambaranar Port

V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port marked the 77th Republic Day celebration with pomp and gaiety at Port School grounds on Monday.

Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, V.O.C Port Authority, unfurled the national flag and received the guard of honour from the CISF personnel, port’s fire service team and NCC cadets of the port school.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Purohit reflected the historic significance of 26th January, commemorating the adoption of the constitution and India’s emergence as the sovereign republic.

He highlighted the port’s robust performance, noting that it handled 31.97 million tonnes of cargo during the current financial year up to December 2025. He noted a 10.47% growth in container traffic, with 6,42,454 TEUs handled until now compared to the 5,81,557 TEUs during the corresponding period of 2024-2025.

He added, “Bids have been invited for the outer harbour project, which envisages the development of two container terminals, each with a 1,000 metre long quay, 18 metre draft and a combined capacity of 4 million TEUs, reinforcing the port’s emergence as a global maritime hub.”

At the event Mr. Purohit also flagged off the E-Payloader, marking a significant step towards enhancing sustainable operational efficiency. He also inaugurated new gymnasium for the port employees and an ENT workstation at port hospital.