Govt plans Rs 1.09 lakh crore investment in 13 major ports

"We have identified 352 projects for major ports to increase their capacity by 767 MT. This will entail Rs 1.09 lakh crore investment of which Rs 72,878 crore have been estimated to come from the private sector," a Shipping Ministry official told PTI.

The major ports capacity was recorded at 616.73 MT on March 31, 2010.
Balance Rs 36,571 crore be would be funded through internal resources and the budgetary support, he said.

The proposed investment is in addition to 72 ongoing projects with a total cost of Rs 18,493 crore to generate a capacity of 143 MT. India at present has 13 major ports - Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin, Kandla and Port Blair under the control of Centre.

The development projects have been identified for deepening of channels, construction and re-construction of berths, procurement and modernisation of equipments, hinterland connectivity etc to be undertaken in three phases.

The first phase will end by 2012, the terminal year of the current 11th Five Year Plan while the second phase will be implemented during the 12th Five Year Plan ( 2012-17) and the final phase will end by 2020.

The government today unveiled a new policy for the Shipping sector that entails an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore by 2020 to take the ports capacity to 3,200 MT and bring in major reforms in the space.

Earlier, this year, the government unveiled a new Maritime Agenda to take ports capacity to 3,200 million tonnes (MT) from 617 MT on March 31, 2010.