Gaurav Raghuvanshi

Kandla , Nov. 7

THE Rs 100,000-crore National Maritime Policy is expected to get Cabinet approval "very soon", according to the Union Minister for Shipping and Road Transport, Mr T.R. Baalu.

"We had circulated the draft policy and received comments from the ministries concerned. The final draft has now been sent to the Cabinet Secretariat and we expect it to be taken up within a month," Mr Baalu said here on Monday.

The proposed policy involves spending Rs 60,000 crore in the ports sector and another Rs 40,000 crore to develop inland and coastal shipping through a mix of government spending and public-private participation in the next 10 years.

"For the first time, a comprehensive policy for the maritime sector is being formulated by the UPA Government. It seeks to combine vision and strategy for the sector through harmonious and coordinated development of maritime assets such as ports, shipping lines, inland water transport systems, ship building and ship-repair industries," Mr Baalu said.

Public investment will be primarily for common user infrastructure facilities such as deepening and maintenance of port channels, construction of breakwaters, rail and road connectivity from ports to hinterland etc. Private investment will be in the areas where operations are primarily commercial in nature such as construction, management and operation of berths/terminals in the various ports, the Minister added.

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