Rs 2 lakh crore projects to step up port connectivity

The government is eyeing an infrastructure investment of around Rs 2 lakh crore under the Sagarmala project with a view to step up port-connectivity for major and non-major ports. Around 80 connectivity projects have been identified to ensure that ports are properly connected to the country’s major production and consumption centers. The authorities are regularly monitoring port projects to modernise and upgrade them. This is done to increase the capacity of ports and bring them up to international standards. The plan also includes last mile road and rail connectivity infrastructure to ports, new pipelines for transporting crude and petroleum products, freight expressways, heavy haul rail projects to transport coal and development of prioritised inland waterways and new multi-modal logistics hubs. Earlier as per records, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had reportedly said that the government had plans to invest Rs 25 lakh crore to strengthen inland waterways, ports and rail-road links. These projects will create opportunities for four crore jobs. Also, this year, 12 public ports in the country made an overall profit of Rs 6,000 crore and the government aims to raise the profit up to Rs 35,000-40,000 crore in four years. As reported, Ministry of Shipping has plans to construct and modernise berths, install state-of-the-art equipment and mechanise cargo handling system at ports, including dredging projects, in order to accommodate large vessels at major ports. It is believed that with a higher capacity at major ports, the traffic will gradually increase.