Indian ports in for Rs 6,000 cr profit by year end: Gadkari

NEW DELHI, Nov 28:
The Indian port sector by December end will register a profit of around Rs 6,000 crore, which the Government will invest to create assets to spur up growth, Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Shipping Nitin Gadkari said today.
Addressing a session on Smart Businesses through Smart Infrastructure at the 110th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, he disclosed that in the next five years, contribution of the highways and shipping sector to the national GDP would rise to two per cent.
With the roads, highways and shipping contributing to two per cent of the national GDP by 2020, the sector would be able to create 50 lakh employment opportunities, he added.
He pointed out that port sector had in the last few decades never registered any profit but with the NDA Government in place, those responsible to manage and handle the port sector were categorically told to improve their performance to stay on to their jobs as a result, the profitability of the port sector has been in advance measured at about Rs 6,000 crore by the end of current year.
Expressing hope that infrastructure sector in the country would witness massive changes and transformation in next few years, Mr Gadkari said many four lane roads and highways would be converted into eight lanes as also a large number of national highways be turned into expressways, by then.
Necessary permissions and approvals for undertaking such assignments have been completed, and the bill relating to making 111 water ways is pending in Parliament which he hoped would be cleared in the current Winter Session of Parliament.
He also called upon industry to participate in making dry ports, as 14 states have the potential for such ports and the willing land owners would have to give their land on which the proposed ports would be built to reduce the logistics and transportation costs especially for imports and exports. President of PHD Chamber Alok B Shriram hailed the initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Beti Bachao-Beti Parao and Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas of the NDA government and described them a move on right direction that would lead the country to the growth trajectory it has been aiming at.
He also praised the Minister for his pro-activeness that has amounted to implementation of projects languishing for approval. (UNI)

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