Centre may invest Rs.28,321 cr. for Paradip Port improvement.

The Union Ministry of Shipping has proposed to invest a massive Rs.28,321 crore for development of Paradip Port and improvement of port connectivity in Odisha.

“The efficiency of Paradip Port in handling cargo has been very satisfactory. It could become one of the largest ports of the country. Keeping its potential in mind, we have prepared massive expansion plan,” Union Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari said while interacting with media persons of coastal States of India through video conferencing on Friday.

“Development of Inland Water Transport terminal (Rs.300 crore), expansion of mechanised stack yard for additional cold storage (Rs.150 crore), development of outer harbour at Paradip Port (Rs.4,250 crore) and conversion of Iron Ore Berth into coal exporting berth at Paradip (Rs.600 crore) will be taken up,” said Mr. Gadkari listing projects for Paradip Port.

He said port connectivity programme was being vigorously pursued in cooperation with different ministries and the State government.

Under port connectivity programme, pipeline from Paradip to Hyderabad (Rs.3,000 crore), doubling of railway line between Bhadrak and Dhamra (Rs.650 crore), new inland container depot at Bhubaneswar (Rs.85 crore), heavy haul railway corridor between Talcher and Paradip (Rs.8,000 crore), third line from Jakhapura to Haridaspur (Rs. 150 crore), third line from Bhadrak to Nergundi (Rs.834 crore), third and fourth line from Budhapanka-Salegaon via Rajatgarh (Rs.1,500 crore) and doubling of line from Rajatgarh to Barang (Rs.276 crore) will be taken up.

Besides, projects such as doubling of railway line between Sambalpur and Talcher (Rs.679 crore) and doubling of line between Titlagarh and Sambalpur (Rs.1,351 crore) and new line from Sukinda to Angul (Rs.680 crore), third line from Sukinda to Jakhapura (Rs.56 crore), newline from Paradip to Haridaspur (Rs.1,118 crore) and new line from Jharsuguda to Barpalli (Rs.1,000 crore) are in pipeline.

Newline from Talcher to Kharagpur via Baripada (Rs.5,000 crore), new line from Talcher to Angul (Rs.500 crore) and double railway track from Gopalpur to Chhatrapur (Rs.140 crore) have also been planned.

The Union Shipping Minister said, “Some of the works will be executed by Union Ministry of Railways and some by us.”

THE HINDU