Haldia Among Three Major Inland Ports To bBe Developed: Gadkari

01 December, Kolkata

Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today said the government has decided to develop three major inland ports at Varanasi of UP, Sahebganj of Jharkhand and Haldia of West Bengal and accord highest priority to the development of Inland Waterways in the country as it has the lowest cost of transportation.

Addressing a special session on Enhancing Connectivity Across Eastern India Key to Economic Growth, organised by the MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, he said land acquisition for all the three ports has already been completed.

Referring to the growth of road network, the minister said the rate of road construction which was only 2 Km per day when the present government came to power, has increased to 18 km per day at present.

In this connection he informed that express highways will be constructed to speed up passenger as well as goods transportation. The first Express Highway will come up in Delhi NCR and more such will be constructed between Vidharbha and Mumbai, Nagpur and Mumbai and Delhi to Srinagar via Katara subsequently.

On the potential of the eastern atates, Gadkari said three more parts are to come up in the country of which one will be built up in Sagar of West Bengal.

Later, the minister inaugurated development initiatives of Kolkata Port Trust at Haldia Dock Complex and Kolkata Dock system through video conferencing. These initiatives include Fly Ash Handing Jetty at Haldia Dock Complex, and refurbished Cassion at Lock Entrance of Haldia Dock.