Appreciating the Union Government’s Sagarmala initiative, Gujarat Finance Minister Saurabhbhai Patel on Monday said that Gujarat has led the nation with its unique port-led economic development model that not only focuses on the port development, but also on port related activities like ship-building, ship recycling, maritime security, logistics etc.
Speaking at the first meeting of the National Sagarmala Apex Committee organised in New Delhi, which was chaired by Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Gujarat Minister said the State’s non-major ports handled a total cargo of 336 MMT in the year 2014-15, which comes to 32 per cent of the total national cargo traffic and 74 per cent of the total traffic handled by the non-major ports of the country collectively. Gujarat coast including the Kandla port handled 42 per cent of the total EXIM cargo of India, he said.
Patel said that Gujarat Government was planning an Integrated Port Management System (IPMS) for improvement of port efficiency and ease of doing business which would facilitate the port users greatly. The State has also conceptualised unique projects like ro-pax ferry services and maritime cluster, he added.
“With a pioneering and futuristic Port policy, Gujarat has become a frontrunner maritime State of India. Instead of concentrating on just cargo generation, we have adopted an innovative policy of ‘port led development’. Today, Gujarat’s ports are emerging as the gateway of State’s economic prosperity,” said Patel while praising the Union Government for its step to revive the Sagarmala Initiative for port led development in the country.
Speaking about the Sagarmala project, he apprised the four pillars on which the concept of Sagarmala rests were namely, port modernization and capacity augmentation; efficient and speedy evacuation; port led development and coastal community development.
Ministry of Shipping has finalised a MoU with Government of Gujarat for capacity development initiative in other maritime states and shall be executed between GPIDCl, Ministry of Shipping and Indian Ports Association. Patel informed the gathering that Gujarat plans to establish a premium maritime university which will serve as the regional centre of excellence catering to the needs of India as well as Far East, SAARC, African and Middle Eastern countries.
He further said that Government of Gujarat will develop a commercial maritime cluster in Gujarat which would focus on the commercial “soft services” of the maritime sector. In view of the importance of this project, he requested the Ministry of Shipping to include this project in their agenda and also Government of India shall set up the key offices in the cluster to provide a single window clearance.