Though the Gopalpur Port is a key to economic progress of south Odisha, the indecisiveness of the State Government responsible for the delay in making the port an all-weather facility, alleged BJP leader and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda at a Press meet here on Friday.
Establishment of this strategically situated port was initiated in 1977-78 after the then Union Minister late Samarendra Kundu accompanied by Panda and the then Union Shipping and Transport Minister Chand Ram made a field visit.
Panda told mediapersons that the potentiality of this port is not being exploited to the extent it ought to be, thereby hampering industrial development in the State’s southern region. Though the State Government has already spent about Rs 130 crore to construct the port, which became operational during 1986-87, and has received revenue worth more than Rs 25 crore, no efforts are being made to convert the seasonal port into an all-weather one.
The State Government had in 2001 signed an MoU with the Adani Exports limited and again in 2003 made a deal with the MMTC to develop the port, but due to its sheer indecisiveness and lack of vision, both the proposals could not be materialised, Panda said.
The Government finally handed over the port to the OSl in 2006 with the condition to make it an all-weather facility by 2010-11 which also has not been achieved so far. The new management’s ambitious pronouncement for investment through international groups and indigenous business houses to develop the port into an all-weather one remains immaterialised, Panda said.
Meanwhile, the port faced natural calamities like cyclone Phailin, for which it is even unable to pay revenue of Rs 18 lakh per annum to the Government. It has now become imperative for the Government to fix a timeline for its development into an all-weather one, Panda stated.
In last two decades, as and when a cargo-loaded ship reaches the port, much fanfare is made to project this routine event, while the port again goes into a sleeping mode, he pointed out.
In contrast, the Gangavaram Port in Visakhapatnam could be developed into an all-weather port with five berths just within a span of 18 months and started commercial operation in August 2008 and has handled 281 ships during last six years. So, why the Odisha Government even after three decades fails to convert the Gopalpur Port into an all-weather one, Panda questioned.
Panda demanded constitution of a House Committee to probe into the issues, including the lawlessness in the locality and the demand for a separate police station for the port and the PSU IRE ltd.
Panda has submitted a memorandum in these regards to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister for Road, Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadakari.