Gadkari outlines plans to develop logistics hubs, ports
VK Sharma
Gadkari outlines plans to develop logistics hubs, ports
THE Minister of Roads, Highways and Shipping, Mr Nitin Gadkari, has announced plans to develop logistics hubs using 350 ring roads, development of 2,000 ports along the coast, and introduction of e-tolling across 360 toll plazas.
He told newsmen at the recently-concluded Make in India Week that money was not a problem in rolling out projects, but issues relating to the system needed to be speedily sorted.
The Minister hoped that the Finance Minister would allocate Rs 65,000 crore for roads, highways, ports and shipping in the coming Budget, up from the present Rs 45,000 crore.
On the logistics hubs, Mr Gadkari said the objective was to reduce logistics cost (currently 18 per cent of the total). It was 8 per cent in China and 8 to 10 per cent in European countries, he pointed out.
"The proposed logistics hubs will house godowns, storages, pre-cooling centres, cold storages and residential units. They will be spread over 2,000 to 3,000 acres along the 350 ring roads," the Minister said.
Besides he said his Ministry has firmed up plans for developing 2,000 water ports in five years. "The tenders will be issued by the end of 2016 for the Wadhavan (Maharashtra), Colachel (Tamil Nadu) and Sagar (West Bengal) ports. This apart, the Ministry will spend Rs 18,000 crore on the expansion of 12 ports," he added.
The government undertakings—Shipping Corporation of India, Dredging Corporation and Cochin Shipyard—together posted a yearly profit of Rs 6,000 crore and would contribute. The rest would be raised from banks, financial institutions and through multiple instruments.
Further, Mr Gadkari said the Ministry has taken 21 decisions to expedite the development of roads and highways across the country.
He said the number of stressed projects has been drastically brought down to 41 from 384 worth Rs 3.80 lakh crore in May 2014, when the NDA government took over. Now, only seven projects worth Rs 20,000 crore are stressed ones.
According to Mr Gadkari, road projects worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore will be launched after March-April.