Sarbananda Sonowal seeks faster Sagarmala execution from Maharashtra govt

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday met with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought expedited action on critical Sagarmala projects, the ministry said.

In a joint review meeting in Mumbai, Sonowal brought up the issue of delayed projects. “Immediate attention is required to expedite the completion of 14 Sagarmala projects that have been delayed for almost a year in Maharashtra. By prioritising these action points, we can significantly contribute to the successful completion of the Sagarmala projects in Maharashtra, fostering economic growth and enhancing maritime infrastructure in the region,” the minister said.

126 projects worth Rs 1.13 trillion under the Sagarmala Programme are planned in Maharashtra, the ministry’s statement said. Out of these, 46 projects worth Rs. 2333 Crore are partially funded by MoPSW, out of which 37 projects worth Rs 1,387 Crore are under Maharashtra State Government.

The state government has completed only nine of the 37 projects it is responsible for.

The two ministers also discussed the ambitious Vadhavan Port. Low draft depth of Indian ports has been an issue plaguing the maritime economy for long. The Centre has been aiming to develop a deep-sea port with a depth of 18 metres at Vadhavan. However, the project has been mired in environmental concerns and has seen no progress of late.

“The detailed discussions were also made on exemption/relaxation on VAT for bunker fuels in RoRo/RoPax/Passenger Ferry Operations in Maharashtra, which accounts for over 20 per cent of the fuel cost for ferry operations,” the ministry said.