Gakdari bats for infrastructure status to shipbuilding industry

PTI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 26

The Shipping Ministry has sought infrastructure status for the shipbuilding industry so as to provide impetus boost to the sector, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
The ministry also plans to start work on about Rs 2,400 crore projects for last mile connectivity to all 12 major ports, said Gadkari, who is the minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping“To promote domestic shipbuilding, I have urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to give infrastructure status to shipbuilding,” he said.
Gadkari added that “work on 40 projects that include last mile connectivity projects and internal port rail projects will begin this year”.
The 12 major ports in the country have nearly 612 km of internal rail network.
The minister also said that though the major ports and Indian Railways have taken up many connectivity projects, there is an urgent need for focused attention and substantial allocation of resources.
“The government is also keen on increasing the percentage of cargo being evacuated through rail from major ports which stands at 28 per cent now,” he said, adding that the Shipping Ministry will procure rakes and wagons on its own as Railways faced shortages of these.
The absence of rakes at times lead to delays of even a fortnight in evacuation of cargo from Paradip port, he said.
Cabinet nod yesterday for forming a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to focus on providing efficient systems in major ports will go a long way in augmenting port infrastructure, said the minister.