Govt identifies 26 port-rail connectivity work worth Rs 29.5k cr

22 connectivity projects have also been identified by IPRCL, 4 have been awarded for implementation

The government has identified 26 rail-road connectivity projects under its ambitious Sagarmala programme worth Rs 29,500 crore.

Of this, two projects have already been completed while 16 have been awarded to the Railways for construction, Minister of State for Shipping P Radhakrishnan said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Twenty-six port-rail connectivity projects have been identified in the National Perspective Plan, April 2016, under Sagarmala at a total estimated cost of Rs 29,500 crore.

Twenty-two rail connectivity projects have also been identified by Indian Port Rail Corporation (IPRCL) for execution. Out of the 22 projects taken up by IPRCL, four have been awarded for implementation by IPRCL, the minister said.

In a separate query, Radhakrishnan said the government has a target of awarding 33 projects during the current fiscal with an investment of Rs 13,123 crore.

"Similarly, 29 projects are targetted for completion during 2016-17. Enhancement of capacity at major ports is a continuous process," he added.

The government is regularly monitoring the port projects to increase the capacity of the ports and also to bring them to international standards, he said.

This is being done through construction and modernisation of berths, installation of state-of-the-art equipment and mechanisation of cargo-handling system at ports, including the dredging projects, to accommodate large vessels at major ports, he added.