New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the development of Minor Port at Puducherry under the Sagarmala Scheme. Estimated to be built at Rs. 44 crore, the port will provide connectivity to Chennai and facilitate cargo movement for industries in Puducherry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the union territory also laid the foundation stones of various development projects.
“I am honoured to lay the foundation of Puducherry Port Development under “Sagarmala Scheme”. This will facilitate the cargo movement for industries of Puducherry and ease the load on Chennai port. It will open up possibilities of passenger traffic among the coastal cities, PM Modi said.”
Sagarmala Programme
The Sagarmala Programme intends to achieve the broad objective of enhancing the capacity of major and non-major ports and modernizing them to make them efficient. Another important vision of the Sagarmala Programme is to reduce logistics costs for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.
Modernization of Ports
There is a constant need to expand port-related infrastructure, since about more than 90% of India’s trade by volume is regulated via the country’s maritime route. India has 12 major ports and approximately 200 non-major ports administered by Central and State Governments.
Earlier, replying to question in the lower house, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mansukh Mandaviya informed Parliament that modernization of seven ports was done in Andaman and Nicobar Island; two in Andhra Pradesh, Daman & Diu, and Goa; three in Gujarat and Kerala; four in Karnataka; twenty-six in Maharashtra; one in Puducherry and eight in Tamil Nadu.
Economic Importance
India has a rich history of trade across seas. Ports are great contributors when it comes to increasing economic activities in the coastal areas. Ports also are equally significant for supporting economic ventures in the hinterland as they play a great role in establishing a crucial connection between sea and land transport. Maritime transportation is the cheapest and most effective, in terms of transportation of goods. For exporting finished goods and importing raw materials, Industries seek means that are safe and cost-effective. Hence, the majority of industries in the world are located in the coastal belts, in the vicinity of major ports.
Source-PBNS