Rs 700 crore for ship-repairing facility in Kerala

The Centre has given much-needed boost to Kerala’s attempts to put its ports and logistics sector on a higher growth trajectory by granting Rs 700 crore for a ship-repairing facility and announcing cabotage waiver to the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam, among a number of support initiatives.
Inaugurating the sectoral session on “Ports, Shipbuilding and Logistics”, Union Shipping Minister Shri. G K Vasan announced the approval of Rs 700 crore to set up a ship-repairing facility at Wellington Island near here.
He also informed that the Centre has decided to grant cabotage waiver to the International Container Transfer Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam, a long standing demand by Kerala, and a move that would double the traffic to 1 million TEUs (twenty feet equivalent units) in two years’ time.
“As part of the effort to expand port capacity, the proposal of Kerala Government to set up a major port at Azheekal is under the active consideration of the Shipping Ministry. A technical committee set up to study its feasibility has submitted the report and it is under examination. Besides, the State Government is developing a deep sea port, my ministry will extend all possible assistance to get the project through,” the Minister said.
Urging Kerala to divert cargo to its non-major ports by utilizing coastal and inland waterways, he said the Centre had declared 205kms of waterways system from Kollam to Kottappuram and between Champakara and Udyogmandal as national waterway No 3 and the Inland Waterways Authority of India was developing several terminals on this stretch.
While asking Kerala to create Maritime Board, he said the State could venture into the domain of skilled employment in the area of ship repairs which is in much demand.
Lauding the beautiful coastalline and backwaters, the Minister said the Directorate General of Lighthouses under his ministry was implementing a scheme to restore and maintain old lighthouses which are tourist attractions. “Kadalur Point lighthouse and Vizhinjam lighthouse in Kerala are among the few lighthouses selected for development as tourist centres under this scheme,” Mr Vasan said.
Listing out the policy initiatives by the Centre to implement vision document Maritime Agenda 2020, the Minister said the Government was adopting public-private partnership as a major mode for development of ports and related logistics.
PPP mode of project implementation has been successfully adopted and since 2009-10, the Ministry has awarded 25 PPP projects with a total investment of Rs 14,000 crore. This year also, 42 projects have been taken up for implantation in the ports sector at the cost of Rs 15,000 crores, out of which 29 are PPP projects,’’ the Minister said