India: Panel Criticises Shipping Ministry for Slow Execution of Port Projects

A Parliamentary committee has pulled up the Shipping Ministry for utilising only about 13 per cent of the Rs 1-lakh crore outlay for the Indian port sector during the 11th Plan, according to eximin.net.

Rating the progress made in the implementation of various projects under National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) as far from satisfactory, the panel sought the status of incomplete projects and the reasons for the delays.

Launched in 2009, NMDP was aimed at large-scale infrastructure development at all the Major Ports and their capacity expansion by 2012.

Although as much as 276 projects were planned under the flagship programme, the pace of execution has been very sluggish.

Last year, the Shipping Ministry had launched a new policy for the sector, involving investment of Rs 3 lakh crore by 2020 to take port capacity to 3,200 million tonnes and bring in major reforms in the space.

While introducing the agenda, the Shipping Minister, Mr G. K. Vasan, had said that it would supplant NMDP.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, May 28, 2012;