Shipping ministry to issue tenders for roping in consultant for Colachel port by March

Shipping ministry will issue tenders for appointment of a consultant by March for the proposed transhipment port at Colachel in Tamilnadu, said Nitin Gadkari, union minister of shipping and road transport. Colachel in Tamil Nadu, Sagar in West Bengal and Wadhawan at Dahanu in Maharashtra will be the three new Greenfield ports on the Indian coast, he said at an interactive session on ports and shipping at the Make in India event at BKC. “We have already initiated investments worth Rs 80,000 crore for mechanisation, modernisation and computerisation of ports under Sagarmala project,” he said. Colachel is being promoted as transhipment hub because of deep drought of 18.5 metres as compared to Vizhinjam in Kerala, N. Muruganandam, Managing Director, Indian Ports Association told the audience. Vizhinjam was also mulled to be promoted as a transhipment hub to capture the container business. Several international ports like Singapore and Jebel Ali have more than one transhipment hubs. He also pointed out that the Cabinet has recently approved a 20% subsidy for shipbuilding, which will boost the ship building industry, apart from sanctioning of infrastructure status for the shipbuilding industry. Gadkari also pointed out the inland waterway bill will shortly get Rajya Sabha nod, paving the way for of 111 river ports