Govt to award Rs 16,744-cr port projects

The government today said it would award 23 port projects worth Rs 16,744 crore during the current financial year in an attempt to increase the port capacity in the country by about 237 million tonne a year.

The government has identified 23 projects for award during the current fiscal to increase the capacity of major ports by 237 million tonne a year, Minister of Shipping GK Vasan informed the Rajya Sabha today.

These port projects worth Rs 16,744 crore would come up under the PPP (public-private-partnership) mode, Vasan said.

The existing port capacity of major ports, as on March, 2011, is 670 million tonne.

Under the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP), 276 projects have been identified for mechanisation and 69 have been completed.

There are 12 major ports in India -- Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin and Kandla.

The government has advised all the maritime states to explore the possibility to develop another port-cum-ship building centre in their states and is awaiting a reponse from the states.

Meanwhile, in order to showcase India as a major source and destination for world tourism, the government has identified five major ports -- namely Goa, Chennai, Cochin, Mumbai and Mangalore -- for development of cruise terminals.