The Sagarmala Project, aimed at port-led development in coastal areas, is bound to boost the country’s economy and the government has lined up about ₹70,000 crore for its 12 major ports only, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

“Ports play a pivotal role in boosting the country’s economic growth. Logistic cost has to be reduced. Our logistic cost is thrice than China’s. We are not able to compete with global markets...

“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the meeting of industry leaders, a leading industrialist said Mumbai to London travel is cheaper than Mumbai to Delhi. Sagarmala will address all these issue by port-led development programmes,” Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Gadkari said after chairing the first meeting of the National Sagarmala Apex Committee (NSAC) here.

Gadkari said the project is aimed at development of coastal states through modernisation, mechanisation and computerisation and would create huge employment besides boosting the country’s GDP. “Ports will play huge role in double digit GDP target and port, shipping and highways sector will very soon add 2 per cent to the country’s GDP,” he said.

He added that about ₹70,000 crore would be spent on development of major ports only which have received 104 suggestions from international consultants to increase efficiency.

Once implemented, this will result in cargo traffic increasing three-fold while the ports will also go under performance audit, the Minister said.

He said the government is focusing on waterways as transport through rivers is much cheaper and costs barely 30—40 paise per km in comparison to Rs 1 through railways and Rs 1.5 through roads.

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