Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Gujarat’s Kandla Port in will soon be connected with Chabahar port in Iran, which is being developed with India’s participation, to boost India’s international trade.
Mr Modi also suggested that Kandla Port, largest cargo handling ports in the country, be renamed as Deendayal Port Trust to as part of Pt Deendayal Upadhyay’s centenary celebrations.
"The way competition is increasing, if India has to progress and cement its place in global trade, it is very important to have ports with modern facilities,” Prime Minister said, while laying foundation for developing new facilities at Kandla Port.
He added that “in a very short span of time, Kandla has emerged as one of the most prominent ports in Asia.” However, it may be noted that Kandla Port Trust is the largest cargo handling port in the country for more than two decades.
“India has a long history of sea trade. With 7,700-km coastline, what is the need to move cargo by railways or roads? Sea route is far more cost effective and we are moving towards that direction when more and more cargo will be ferried through the sea route,” Mr Modi said, stressing on developing modern infrastructure at ports in the country.
Besides developing port facilities, Mr. Modi said, the government was also working on further developing multi-modal transport system to connect ports with railway networks for seamless movements of cargo.
"It’s of no use to modernise your ports if there are bottlenecks in cargo movement away from ports. That is why we are working on developing all-round transport infrastructure in the country," he said.
Mr. Modi also inaugurated a new pumping station at Bhachau in Kutch on Narmada canal to bring water to parched Kutch district. Built at the cost of Rs 148 crore, the new pumping station will left water 18-meter high and flow it in the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) section to bring water to Anjar and Mandavi towns of vast desert district, Kutch.
The Prime Minister is on two day visit to his home state Gujarat to launch new projects at Kandla Port Trust, Narmada water pumping station and to inaugurate 42 Annual Meeting of African Development Bank at Mahatma Mandir Convention centre in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.
Mr Modi will address more than 4500 delegates of African Development Bank at its annual meeting which is being held in India for the first time.
