The Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta

The origin and growth of Calcutta, the first city in the country, is intimately connected with the development of Calcutta Port. It would be true to say that the city grew out of the port. It had its begining in the 17th Century when the rich and profitable trade with Bengal attracted foreign advertures. It was Job Charnock, the English Agent of the East India Company who chose the present site of Calcutta, 125 miles from the sea, and built the English Settlement here around 1690 with the permission of the then Moghul Emperor, Aurangzeb. The port and the city of Calcutta grew out of these settlements along the left bank of the River Hoogly.

 

However, the transition of Calcutta into a modern port really began in the second half of the last century. It is now the premier port on the Eastern Coast of the country handling the largest volume of dry cargo. The port commands a vast hinterland of about half a millon square miles, comprising the States of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa, almost the whole of Uttar Pradesh, a part of Madhya Pradesh and also the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The port of Calcutta which is situated 126 nautical miles away from the sea, presents difficult navigational problems. There are several sand bars and sharp bends in the river which ships have to negotiate. The channel is dredged constantly and is well marked with numerous navigational aids to facilitate navigation-both by day and night. Pilotage of ships on this river is compulsory. The affairs of the port are managed by a statutory body constituted under the terms of Act V of 1870, later consolidated under the Calcutta Port Act, 1890, and known as "The Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta".    

The stamp is horizontal and depicts a picture of a Dredger' pilot Vessel and at Calcutta Port with the crest of the Port Commissioners Calcutta. Howrah Bridge over the River Hooghly is shown in the background.