Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for making India a leading maritime nation and emphasised the important role ports will have to play to achieve the ambitious vision.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu was speaking after Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) Chairman K. Rama Mohana Rao and other senior officials made a presentation on the various activities of the port and its expansion plans here on Saturday.
Observing that India was strategically located on the world’s shipping routes with a long coastline of about 7,517 km and over 200 major and minor ports, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said “these ports play an important role in India’s economy.”
Recalling that ancient India was a great maritime power and that the navies of the Chola and Kalinga kings used to rule the oceans, the Vice-President said “we have to regain that past glory.”
Infra development
Referring to the development of port infrastructure in the country, he said that as part of the ambitious Sagarmala project, more than 504 projects had been identified to unlock the opportunities for port-led development, and these initiatives were expected to mobilise more than ₹3.57 lakh crore of infrastructure investment.
Noting a decline in cargo movement at the VPT during 2020-21 due to the pandemic after a healthy upward swing between 2015-16 and 2019-20, the Vice-President expressed the hope that the port would regain its growth trajectory once the situation normalises. “It is important to note that ports will play an important role in the post-COVID economic recovery,” he added.
Lauding the ports for having played a proactive role in handling oxygen supplies and humanitarian relief work during the second wave of the pandemic and cyclones Tauktae and Yaas, he said, “I compliment you all for that.”
Vision 2030
Referring to the Maritime India Vision 2030, the Vice-President wanted the VPT to adopt global best practices in operations and development.
He said that the vision was not impossible to achieve as India had the inherent strength of knowledge, and wanted everyone to work with Team India spirit.
During the interaction, the Vice-President was keen to know the measures taken by the VPT to contain pollution and protect the environment.
Appreciating the port’s green initiatives, he also wanted it to focus more on renewable energy and energy conservation.
FTW zone
Earlier, the Vice-President was apprised of the expansion plans, including the proposed establishment of the ₹406-crore Free Trade and Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) in an area of 103 acres.
The FTWZ will be funded under the Sagarmala project, and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up to develop infrastructure such as roads, electricity, rail and road connectivity.
Minister for Tourism M. Srinivasa Rao, VPT Deputy Chairman Durgesh Kumar Dubey, and other senior officials were present.
