Bhubanedswar: The State Government has issued notification for setting up 12 new ports. MoUs have been signed with different organisations for this and land is being acquired for the purpose, said Transport Minister Nrusingha Charan Sahu in reply to a question by MLA Dilip Ray in the State Assembly on Saturday.
Presently, three ports are functioning at Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur. In 1991, the Government had issued notification to set up a port at Bahabalapur in Baleswar district.
Similarly in 1996, a notification was issued for another eight ports. They are Astaranga and Bali Harchandi in Puri district, Inchudi, Subarnarekha and Chandipur in Baleswar district, Bahuda in Ganjam district and Chudamani in Bhadrak district, said Sahu.
Besides, a notification was issued in 2000 for a port at Jatadhari Muhan in Jagatsinghpur and in 2009 notification was issued for a port at Talsari in Baleswar district. In 2017, a notification was issued for a riverine port at Mahakalapada block in Kendrapada district, said the Minister.
Though notification was issued 17 years back for Bahabalapur port, the construction work has not made any headway. Similarly, in 1996 out of the notification which issued for eight ports, a MoU has been signed in 2008 with an organisation for a port at Subarnarekha and 700 acre of land has been acquired.
Even thought the Government had signed an MoU with the Aditya Birla Group for the port at Chudamani, later the company withdrew from the project. An MoU has been signed with the Navyug Engineering for the port at Astaranga in 2010.While the land acquisition process is on for the project, an agitation is continuing opposing the project. The expansion works for the Dhamra and Gopalpur Ports are being carried out.
After the proposed ports become functional, import and exports would increase; and due to the business activities employment opportunities would be created. The Government should complete the ports within a limited timeframe to expedite developmental activities, demanded Ray.
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