Shipping ministry announces projects for Gujarat summit alone

The Ministry of Ports, has signed initial agreements for investments worth Rs 30,000 crore during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024. No such projects were announced investor summits held in other states.

In a statement, the ministry said during the event APM Terminals and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 20,000 crore, expressing their intent to invest in the Vadhavan Port Project.

The proposed Vadhavan port in Maharashtra is a high-priority initiative for the government, the port is designed to handle an annual cargo capacity of 23 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) or 254 million tons, boasting a natural draft of 20 meters to accommodate larger container vessels of up to 20,000 TEUs. Once completed, the project will rank among the world's top 10 largest ports and serve as a significant green fuel hub, the statement said.

According to a statement, a memorandum of understanding between Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla and Umeandus Technologies India Private Limited has been signed for investment worth Rs 10,000 crore for improving transportation and logistics infrastructure.

During the event, Ports, Shipping, and Waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said under the Sagarmala Program, 14 projects worth Rs 55,800 crore have been identified, with 9 projects totalling Rs 45,800 crore already completed.

Last week Chennai hosted a Global investors meet. Tamil Nadu has three major ports owned by government of India. Neither the shipping minister was present at the summit nor any investment made in these ports whose infrastructure remained backward. The capacity utilization of  the container terminals of the three ports remain at 50 per cent for the past 8 years.

Barring the token presence of Commerce minister Piyush Goyal at the Chennai summiy, no central minister was present at the summit. Mr Goyal did not make any reference to the progress of various industrial corridors which remain struck for the past ten years including Chennai Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam Chennai or Chennai Kanyakumari corridor during the course of his speech at the summit

Gujarat summit was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, shipping minister Sarbananda Sonawal besides Mr Goyal. Government of India invited international dignatories including UAE ruler for the Gujarat summit.