Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2020, inaugurated the Ro-Pax terminal at Hazira and flagged off the Ro-Pax ferry service between Hazira and Ghogha in Gujarat through video conferencing. He also interacted with the local users. He renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said today, the people of Gujarat have got their Diwali gift. Everyone will benefit from this better connectivity. He further said RO-PAX service between Hazira and Ghogha has made dreams come true for the people of Saurashtra and South Gujarat as the journey is shortened from 10-12 hours to 3-4 hours. He said about 80,000 passenger trains and 30,000 trucks will be able to take advantage of this new service in a year.
Modi also said better connectivity between Saurashtra and Surat is going to change the life of the people in these regions. He added fruits, vegetables and milk can now easily be transported and pollution will also be reduced due to this service. He thanked all those engineers, workers, who remained courageous to develop the facility amidst a lot of challenges. He wished the people for this new maritime connectivity established between Bhavnagar and Surat, according to a PIB release.
The Prime Minister lauded the way Gujarat realised its maritime potential in the last two decades and gave priority to port led development and said it is a matter of pride for every Gujarati. The Prime Minister said today, Gujarat has become a gateway of prosperity due to the efforts of the government in ensuring the development of all types of infrastructure in the coastal area. Last year, Gujarat accounted for more than 40 percent of the country’s total maritime trade.
The Prime Minister remarked that today, maritime business-related infrastructure and capacity building in Gujarat is in full swing. Many facilities are getting ready in Gujarat like Gujarat Maritime Cluster, Gujarat Maritime University and country’s first CNG Terminal at Bhavnagar. Gujarat Maritime cluster ports to be built in GIFT city would be a dedicated system to address Ports to sea based Logistics.
The Prime Minister said the government is making efforts to restart the ferry service between Ghogha-Dahej very soon. He said many natural challenges have arisen in this project and efforts are being made to remove them through modern technology. He added Gujarat Maritime University is a big center for getting trained manpower and experts ready for maritime trade. He said work is also going on to build the first National Museum to preserve the country’s maritime heritage at Lothal.
The Prime Minister said facilities like Ro-Pax Ferry service or Sea Plane inaugurated a few days ago, is giving a lot of momentum to water-resource based economy. He said that over the years, serious efforts have also been made to strengthen the Blue Economy in the country. He listed the ecosystems and many schemes made over the years to help the fishermen like financial aid to fishermen for modern trollers or navigation systems that provide accurate information of weather and sea routes. He added recently launched Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana is also promoting fish related trade. Under this scheme, Rs 20,000 crore would be spent for infrastructure related to fisheries in the coming years.
The Prime Minister said that added efforts were being made to put maximum use of about 21,000 km of waterway in the country, for the development of the country. He said that under the Sagarmala project, work is going on over 500 projects across the country.
The Prime Minister renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. He said in most of the developed countries, the Ministry of Shipping handles Ports and Waterways. He added now with more clarity in name, there will be more clarity in the work.