The Paradip Port’s cargo handling capacity would be increased to 325 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2025.
This was stated by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari here on Friday. “The capacity of the Paradip Port will be increased three-fold by 2025. Work is going on to achieve the target,” he told mediapersons.
Gadkari said the Paradip Port would be “the growth engine of eastern India”.
He also said the Government was taking steps to increase the production of the Mahanadi Coal Fields ltd (MCl) from 60 million tonnes (MT) to 300 MT. “The coal would be transported through waterways to other States including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In return, the ships would bring lime stones for steel projects,” said the Minister.
If coal is transported through waterways, electricity charges would cost Re 1 less per unit, he said.
Gadkari said the Union Government was committed to bring down the high logistics cost to 12 per cent and raise the share of waterways transportation to 15 per cent in coming years. The country’s present logistics cost is 18 per cent.
The minister said the Government is also giving priority for development of National Highways. “We are giving priority to Odisha. We have already created 1,300 km NHs while we will try to increase it to 2,000 km,” he said.