Guwahati: In a statement on Tuesday, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal noted that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has 44 projects in the works that will require a combined investment of Rs. 22,900 crore by 2024–25. He also noted that the public–private partnership in port infrastructure has been a significant source of funding for the industry.
Moreover, the government is developing standards for handling stressed public-private partnership (PPP) projects at significant ports and has also developed laws to promote the shipbuilding sector in India, Sonowal said.
“The Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways is working on two fronts to encourage private sector participation… On the project front the ministry has a pipeline of 44 projects for a total investment of Rs 22,900 crore till 2024-25,” he told PTI.
According to Sonowal, the ministry is developing guidelines for handling stressed PPP projects at significant ports.
The Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways added that 22 projects totaling Rs 12,222 crore had received sanction from MoPSW under the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP). Seven projects totaling Rs 5,278 crore have already been granted under the PPP model out of the total 22 projects, he added. The remaining projects are in various phases of the bidding process.
In order to make doing business easier and provide a favourable climate for private sector investments in the port sector, the ministry is also working on the captive policy and migration policy (to new MCA and Tariff regime).
According to Sonowal, the MoPSW has shortlisted 101 projects costing Rs 56,831 crore for implementation by 2024 as part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Nine projects totaling Rs 716 crore are anticipated to be finished by March 2023, he said, adding that 13 projects totaling Rs 4,423 crore have already been finished.
Nine High Impact Projects (HIP) have been identified by the Ports, Shipping and Waterways ministry; these have been submitted to the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) portal and are being watched at the Cabinet Secretariat level. He stated that three HIP projects have already been finished.
In addition to completing projects related to port modernization and connectivity, Sonowal added that the ministry is moving forward with a number of Sagarmala projects involving passenger jetty and RoRo/Ropax facilities, as well as fishing harbour projects, in order to enhance coastal residents’ connectivity and standard of living.
He claimed that the National Nautical Legacy Complex (NMHC) at Lothal is being created as a unique project of its type to showcase India’s rich and diversified maritime heritage. The project is now being implemented, and all efforts are being made to finish the first phase by the end of 2023.
According to Sonowal, 191 port connection projects under Sagarmala that are in various phases of execution and development have been identified after consultation with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Railways Ministries.
In response to a question about the need for the prior programme of subsidy for carrying products through Inland waterways in the NorthEast area, introduced by Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), to be restored, Sonowal responded that the scheme was ended on March 31, 2022.
“However, in order to promote this mode of transport and to meet first mile, last mile and multiple handling of cargo issues while transporting through IWT mode, MoPSW will take up the matter for restoration of the scheme with MoCI for promoting the movement of goods through Inland waterways in the NorthEast region,” he said.