State-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust will develop two new ports at Rewas and Vijaydurg in Maharashtra to expand capacity and pursue port-led industrialisation, Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
JNPT has also submitted initial bids for buying the bankrupt private port at Dighi which is undergoing corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
“JNPT is planning to purchase two Ports. We are working on that. I feel we have to develop port-led industrial area near JNPT where there is a huge potential,” Gadkari said in Mumbai recently.
These are first indications that the Shipping Ministry has put off its earlier plan to build a new port at Vadhawan in Palghar district through a joint venture with the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) due to political and environment pressures.
“We have now received the detailed project report for Vadhawan. But, at Vadhawan, there are some environment and political problems. We are now looking at two other ports — one at Rewas and the other at Vijaydurg. Rewas is already in problem with the Reliance Group and we have to find a way out with the cooperation of the State Government. We are also looking at Dighi Port,” Gadkari said.
The planned port at Vijaydurg will cater to the needs of the proposed 60-million tonnes oil refinery and petrochemicals complex of Indian Oil Corporation, HPCL, BPCL, Saudi Aramco and ADNOC as well as other cargo destined for Kolhapur and Southern Maharashtra.
Gadkari said that funds were not a problem for JNPT to invest in the two ports. “JNPT is making profits of about Rs. 1,400 crore every year. Funding is not a problem. JNPT does not need Government funding,” he added.
Source :- Dailyshippingtimes.com
