New guidelines have been issued to streamline security clearance proposals to remove bottlenecks in award of port development projects, said the Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan.
The shipping ministry is also taking steps to ensure expeditious grant of environment clearance, land acquisition and litigation, he said, at the curtain raiser of India Maritime 2012, an international exhibition on shipping, ports marine technology logistics.
When reporters asked about bidders of the Chennai port’s mega container terminal project awaiting security clearance for a long time, Vasan said “it is being looked at.”
The Ministry plans to award projects to create 244 million tonne of capacity during 2012-13. This is spread across 42 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 14,500 crore. The Ministry has also given targets to all the ports for dredging work so that 12 m draft can be provided to bring in bigger vessels. “It is our aim to provide 17 m draft,” he said.
The Ministry’s target also includes establishment of two new major ports — one in Andhra Pradesh and the other in West Bengal. During this financial year, measures would be initiated to get approval of the Union Cabinet for establishing these two ports, he said.
Mega event
The Shipping Ministry and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are jointly organising the India Maritime 2012 in Goa from October 17 to 20. This event will be a platform for port infrastructure, shipping lines, cargo handling agents, ship builders, ancillary suppliers and other related service providers to showcase their capabilities, said Vasan.