Tenders for three ports to come by March

The government will float tenders for three new major ports in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu by March, entailing investment of Rs 20,000 crore, according to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The work on these projects, like breakwaters, will begin by April-May. The three new ports will come up in Wadhwan in Maharashtra, Sagar in West Bengal, and Colachel in Tamil Nadu. The government is also targeting to increase the use of cheaper and cleaner water transport for movement of goods to 15 per cent of the trade by 2019, from the present 3.5 per cent. According to Gadkari, the 12 major ports and three state-run undertakings under his ministry will be delivering a profit of Rs 6,000 crore this fiscal, and the entire money will be invested for modernisation, computerisation and mechanisation of ports.