Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Maritime summit ends

VISAKHAPATNAM: The first-ever East Coast Maritime Summit concluded here on Wednesday with experts expressing anguish at disparity between East Coast and West Coast and underscored the urgent and growing need to develop Visakhapatnam as a gateway port.

The gateway port demand was the focal point during the two-day deliberations due to strategic location of Visakhapatnam – being close to South East Asian countries.

“Visakhapatnam due to its strategic location has bright prospects to become a gateway port,” agreed Rakesh Srivastava, Joint Secretary (ports), Ministry of Shipping. He gave a detailed presentation on National Maritime Development Programme – long-term policies to evolve and implement strategies to augment infrastructure for both major and non-major ports. Mr. Srivastava said in view of massive funding requirement to create new infrastructure and strengthen existing facilities in the ports, projects were being taken on a massive scale under Public Private Participation mode.

He said private investment was ranging up to 60 per cent to create world-class infrastructure and pointed out how for channel deepening alone in the major ports, Rs.6,300 crores was being spent in next three to four years.

“Visakhapatnam has immense scope to become a gateway and a hub for container cargo and coastal shipping,” remarked Capt. Vijay Gopal, CEO, Seaways Shipping Group. M.P. Pinto, retired Secretary, Union Ministry of Shipping, spoke.

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