Govt to set up low-cost non-major ports to boost trade

New Delhi: Government of India plans to set up low-cost non-major ports along coastline under the Sagarmala project to boost trade. To support coastal shipping, the government has asked all the 12 major ports to accord priority berthing to such vessels and to encourage quicker movement of cargo, as a transient measure. "Holding up time at ports in India is noteworthy and hampers the effectiveness of vessel operations. It is assessed that coastal vessels in India invest around 70 per cent of aggregate time in ports and just 30 per cent of their time in genuine voyage. Such delays render coastal shipping uncompetitive" as per a report by Ministry of Shipping. Priority berthing to coastal vessels will enable shippers to transport goods from one port to another irrespective of origin and final destination of the cargo. The Sagarmala project would be implemented through the respective state/maritime boards. The government will put in place a national perspective plan for the coastline to identify potential geographical regions to be called Coastal Economic Zones. In the initial phase, the government would earmark approximately Rs 692 crore (US$ 103.8 million) for implementation of projects under Sagarmala in FY 2015-16.