Governor: use waterways to decongest roads

Hardly one per cent of the GDP is spent on developing ports, though they handle 90% of India’s exports and imports, Governor P. Sathasivam has said.

There is also a need for better connectivity between industrial units and ports, since India has 14,500-km navigable waterways, he said after inaugurating Cochin Port Day - 2018, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the arrival of merchant vessel SS Padma in Kochi on May 26, 1928.

Mr. Sathasivam lauded the all-weather natural harbour (port) located close to the busy international shipping line, for registering an impressive growth in cargo handling. “The Centre’s Sagaramala project is aimed at bringing about port-led development. Ports also hold tremendous tourism potential,” the Governor observed.

He demanded an end to cumbersome procedures at Indian ports to avail services and sought steps to check pollution. “Steps must also be taken to strengthen inland water transport. Shifting movement of cargo through waterways will lessen congestion on roads. Waterways also have tremendous tourism potential,” he said.

The Governor further sought steps by governments to strengthen public sector units like shipyards and rail-coach factories. He advised stakeholders to take informed decisions and to add an arbitration clause in agreements to enable speedy settlement of disputes, if any, through negotiations.

Cruise terminal

In his presidential address, Cochin Port Trust chairman in-charge A.V. Ramana announced that a ₹25-crore cruise ship terminal funded by the Tourism Ministry would be readied at the port by December 2019. “The handling charge for cruise vessels has been lessened by 66%. The arrival of more cruise tourists augurs well for small and village industries. The port has also taken steps to ensure ease of doing business,” he said.

He added that the port had for the first time in many years made a net surplus. “Expenditure on dredging has been reduced. Steps have been taken to handle more LNG cargo, while an agreement has been inked with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to transport more food grain by ships,” he said.

P. Nageswara Rao, Chief Commissioner of Central Tax, Central Excise & Customs; Prakash Iyer, president, Cochin Steamer Agents’ Association; A.A. Abdul Azees, president, Cochin Customs Brokers’ Association; Gautam Gupta, Traffic Manager, and G. Vaidyanathan, chief engineer, Cochin Port Trust, spoke on the occasion. Awards were given to the best-performing port users and outstanding employees of the port.