Sarbananda Sonowal highlights high priority projects under Sagarmala

NEW DELHI : Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal informed in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that, the Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. As a part of Sagarmala Programme, around 839 projects at an estimated cost of around 5.5 lakh crore have been identified for implementation. These projects are implemented by Central Ministries, IWAI, Indian Railways, NHAI, State Government and Major Ports etc. As of now, 272 projects have been completed, which account for an investment of approximately Rs. 1.41 lakh crores.

For timely execution of projects, Ministry on regular intervals interacts with State Maritime Boards (SMBs)/State Govts/UTs’Administration/Central Line Ministries by organizing project based and State level meetings to understand their concerns and aiding to resolve the issues concerning Government of India in timely manner. Ministry from time to time holds Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) meetings and also encourage coastal States/UTs to hold State Sagarmala Committee meetings for creating synergy among various stakeholders for expeditious implementation of Sagarmala projects. To date, twenty meetings of MSDC have been held with State Governments and other stakeholders. Further, at the top of the Sagarmala framework, a National Sagarmala Apex Committee has been constituted for overall policy guidance and high-level coordination, and to review aspect of planning and implementation of the plan and projects.

Sagarmala Programme core focus is economic and infrastructural development, which has indirect strategic significance. By modernizing and expanding Indian ports, India strengthens its position in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region. The programme aims to boost maritime trade within India and internationally, improving its standing as a global maritime hub, which directly competes with neighbouring countries.