Odisha ranks 2nd in port projects under operation: Assocham

Odisha has emerged as the second state after Gujarat in implementation of the port projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The state has accounted for second highest share of about 17 per cent in value terms with completion of two port projects worth over Rs 4,100 crore as on April 30, 2013, according to an industry report.

Gujarat accounts for the lion's share of over 50 per cent in the total number of completed port projects that have been put to service delivery under the PPP model.

The study, titled ' Port Developments in India,' conducted by apex industry body, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), mentioned that overall Odisha ranked fourth with three more projects valuing Rs 4,100 crore under construction in PPP mode.

This is 10 percent of the total worth of projects under pipeline where the list of states is headed by Andhra Pradesh (46.2 per cent), followed by Maharashtra (15.6 per cent) and Kerala (14.4 per cent).

Three ports are under construction in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra while in Kerala there is one project under construction in the PPP mode.

However, Odisha has no new port project under the bidding process, read the report.

"Out of the total 881 PPP projects worth over Rs 5.4 lakh crore taken up under the PPP model across India, 62 projects in the port sector worth over Rs 82,000 crore are in different stages of implementation," said DS Rawat, national secretary general, Assocham.

While Gujarat accounts for maximum share of over 50 per cent in the total number of completed port projects, Andhra Pradesh has maximum port projects under construction and Kerala tops the list with the highest share in port projects under bidding.

There are about 21 port projects, worth over Rs 43,000 crore and accounting for a share of over 52 per cent of the total investment in the sector, are under construction. Similarly, eight projects worth about Rs 14,000 crore with a share of about 17 per cent of the total investment are under bidding, said Rawat.

"Of the remaining, one project is in the expression of interest stage (EOI) stage and one has been cancelled," Rawat.

The total port capacity of India's nine maritime states namely - Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu as on March 31, 2007, was about 228.3 million tonnes. This was expected to go up by 337.4 million tonnes during 2007-12. But the total capacity realised as on March 31, 2011 was 418.3 million tonnes, thereby indicating addition of about 190 million tonnes during the first four years of the XI plan," said Rawat.

Odisha is the second state after Gujarat which realised actual capacity addition of about 23 million tonnes from zero capacity during the first four years of XI plan thereby exceeding the expected capacity addition between 2007-12 which was about 13.2 million tonnes. Gujarat could create almost double the capacity at the minor ports than was envisaged in the 11th plan.

According to the report, the XII Plan objective of attracting more than Rs 1 lakh crore private investments for developing non-major ports turns out to be an ambitious target unless and otherwise the XI Plan performances are evaluated in proper spirit.

The states concerned must seriously consider incorporating the success strategies of others for better fulfillment of the plan objectives, it added.