Bhubaneswar, Mar 15 :The Union government has stressed the need for developing port based infrastructure including the ambitious Sagarmala project along with coastal industrial zones across the country .
Joint Secretary Union Ministry of Shipping Rabindra Agarwal highlighted the objectives of Sagarmala project and said that under this project importance is being given to improve operational efficiency of the ports with cost effective multi-modal logistic solutions and develop port based industrial activities.
“To achieve this, ports should be modernized, evacuation of cargo via coastal shipping to be prioritized, railway infrastructure for the first mile and last mile to be improved”, he added.
PPT Chairman Rinkesh Roy said that Sagarmala Project is an initiative of the Central government to establish India as a global maritime leader by maximizing trade and tourism potential of the nation’s vast coast line.
The main cargo expected to materialize for the ports in Odisha, especially Paradip is the movement of thermal coal from Mahanadi Coalfields to Southern and Western India through coastal shipping, he said.
While Principal Secretary, Odisha’s Commerce and Transport department Sanjay Rastogi highlighted the need for building industrial cluster in Odisha, Principal Secretary Odisha Industry department Sanjeev Chopra pitched for building an industrial corridor between Bhubaneswar and Paradip to boost industrial activities.
The workshop was organized to disseminate the findings of the draft National Perspective Plan and to obtain inputs on the same from the State government and other Stakeholders.
The focus was to bring all the stakeholders like officials of the State government, Centre, infrastructure agencies like NHAI, Railways, Non-major Ports, EXIM Industries, Associations and organizations connected in the maritime activities in a forum under the Sagarmala Project in the State and also to deliberate and discuss on the inputs for the Sagarmala Project .
