With the Union Ministry of Shipping going ahead to implement the project Sagarmala in the country, the State Governments have been urged to identify useful and relevant projects to be taken up in the early phase of implementation.
Under the Sagarmala project, port-led developmental projects would be undertaken in the country to provide an excellent vehicle for creation of jobs and employment opportunities. Union Minister Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has written to the Chief Ministers of the coastal States in this regard.
Gadkari in his letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said the Sagarmala aims to promote development of manufacturing hubs, industrial logistic parks, warehousing, maritime zones, services, Smart Cities, coastal shipping and inland waterways transportation to promote economic development.
He has urged the Chief Minister to form a State-level Sagarmala Committee (SlSC), which would be headed by the Chief Minister and chart out a State Perspective Plan entailing detailed planning of the coastal areas and ports situated thereon and their linkages and relationships with hinterland with respect to industrial and commercial development.
This has to be done in synergy with the National Perspective Plan, which is being formulated by the Ministry of Shipping. Gadkari has requested the Chief Minister to nominate a senior officer in the rank of Principal Secretary to coordinate with the Ministry of Shipping for implementation of the Sagarmala project in the State.
Odisha, being a major coastal State with 480 km of coastline, would be benefitted in a big way, feel experts.
Sagamala also seeks to achieve reduction in logistic cost for EXIM Trade by not just improving the port capacities and infrastructure but by also simplifying procedures used at ports for cargo movement and promoting the use of electronic channels for information exchange.
By doing so, it is expected that ports would not just remain centres of cargo movement but also become pivots for industrial development in the hinterland.
Odisha would be able to take up development of coastal communities through targeted projects relating to skill building and training, fisheries and tourism development among other initiatives, said a senior officer engaged in port-based activities.
