New Delhi: Sagarmala project, which is aimed at port-led development in coastal states, will immensely help in creating new employment opportunities and push economic growth of the country, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.
"The prime objective of the initiative is to promote port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure for transporting goods to and from ports efficiently and cost-effectively," Gadkari said addressing a meeting of the consultative committee of the MPs attached to the Ministry of Shipping.
The Minister also said the initiative needs to be strongly supported as it will place the ports as focal points for industrial growth and economic development, as per an official statement issued in New Delhi.
Underlining that transportation through waterways is much cheaper compared to road and rail transport, he said India has vast untapped potential of using rivers for transportation.
"The decision to enact central legislation to declare 101 additional Inland Waterways as National Waterways (NW) for navigation will go a long way in transforming transport sector in the country," he said and called for suggestions from the MPs on Sagarmala project and developing inland waterways.
The statement quoted Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan saying the recommendations from the members will help in strengthening the project.
The Union Cabinet in March had given 'in-principle' nod to the project, aimed at port-led development in coastal states.
As a step towards comprehensive and integrated planning for 'Sagarmala', the government plans to put in place a national perspective plan soon for the entire coastline which will identify potential geographical regions to be called Coastal Economic Zones.
Funds required in 2015-16 for implementation of projects in the initial phase of Sagarmala is pegged at Rs 692 crore. A presentation was also made on the occasion, the statement said.
It added that the project shall aim to develop access to new development regions with intermodal solutions and promotion of the optimum modal split, enhanced connectivity with the main economic centres and beyond through expansion of the rail, inland water, coastal and road services.
Development activities under port-led direct development include ship building and repair, fisheries, refineries, core industries, thermal power projects, petrol, oil & lubricants (POL) and chemical-based industries, captive industries, cement plants and capital goods industry.
Activities under port-led indirect development includes connectivity projects such as roads, railways, airports, pipeline networks to cater to port based multi product/sector specific Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Free Trade Warehousing Zones (FTWZs)/ Special Investment Region (SIRs) etc.
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