Sagarmala project to be growth engine for major ports in country : Sonowal

Visakhapatnam: Union Minister for Port and Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal said that port-led development has taken place in the country under the Sagarmala project in a big way.

Addressing a media conference here on Monday night, Sonowal said the Sagarmala project will be the growth engine for the ports, especially the major ports in the country. The project was taken up for fast development in the country, he said.

The Minister said the government had already spent Rs 99,000 crore for the project and took up 215 projects under Sagarmala which are under various stages.

He said all the projects would be completed by 2035.

All the major ports have been performing well and the cargo handling has reached to 105 million tonnes at present, Sonowal said modernization had been taken up in the entire major ports and using latest technology to provide best facilities for the port users.

He said the projects taken up under Sagarmala intended to provide connectivity to rail lines for speedy movement of goods.

Sonowal, who also reviewed the ongoing projects at the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), where an investment of about Rs 1,446 crore would come up, urged VPA Chairman K. Rama Mohana Rao to complete the Cruise Terminal, covered storage sheds, Fishing Harbour modernization on a war-footing.

The Visakhapatnam port has been performing well in all aspects and expressed confidence that it would become one of the best ports in the world in the future, the Minister said.

Regarding competition among the ports, he said competition is essential in the port sector between major and private ports and the best performer will survive.

To a question, he said the Central government has not received any proposal from the Andhra Pradesh government so far on setting up of a new port in the state.