CHAIRMAN Vs. AREBEE STAR MARITIME AGENCIES PVT LTD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) These proceedings have arisen from a judgment dated 27 September 2011 of a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court in a batch of writ appeals and original petitions, preferred by various shipping agents.

(3.) The question before the High Court was whether the liability to pay 'ground rent' on containers unloaded at Cochin Port, but not cleared by the consignees/importers and refused to be de-stuffed by the Port, on the ground of inadequate storage space, can be imposed on the owners of the vessel/steamer agents beyond the period of 75 days, fixed by the Tariff Authority of Major Ports (TAMP) , a statutory body constituted under Section 47A of the Major Port Trust Act (MPT Act) , 1963.