The Union Minister of Port and Shipping, Sarbananda Sonowal today held a review meeting with the Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port (SMP), Kolkata where the port chairman Vinit Kumar informed the minister that the port has future plans that emphasized connectivity, estate management, capacity augmentation and process simplification in the two dock systems of Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex.
The port’s spokesperson shared that the Union minister was intimated on the developments undertaken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Gatishakti National Plan’. It is learnt that Kolkata Port chairman, Mr Vinit Kumar shared the integrated approach of the port for multi-modal connectivity as envisioned under the plan.
The port has initiated a number of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and technology-led initiatives creation of a paperless system for EXIM processes in the port. Along with technology-led innovations which include IoT tugs, autonomous survey vessels, automatic tide gauges to measure tidal movements, OCR based systems, e-payments, etc.
He intimated the Union minister that with Kidderpore docks designated for IWT trade and HDC to be the hub of LNG on the east coast, the port aspires to provide competitive services to its stakeholders and be the port of choice not only for hinterland and North-East India but also Eastern water grid including BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) & Myanmar.”
Mr Sonowal reiterated under ‘PM Gati Shakti’, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is set to play a major role in the realisation of the ‘National Master Plan’, a multi-modal connectivity masterplan launched by the PM. The construction of a trans-shipment hub at Greater Nicobar was also part of the discussions. In the meeting, initiatives relating to vehicle scrapping policy, implementation of MIV 2030, were also discussed.
Source : The Statesman
