By Priti Naik
The Union Minister of Port and Shipping, Sarbananda Sonowal held a review meeting with the team of Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port (SMP), Kolkata. The Port Chairman Vinit Kumar informed the minister that the port emphasized on connectivity, estate management, capacity augmentation and process simplification in the two dock systems of Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex.
Union Minister Sonowal appreciated the developments taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Gatishakti National Plan’. The Port Chairman also shared the integrated approach of the port for multimodal connectivity as envisioned under the plan. The port has also initiated a number of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and technology-led initiatives creation of a paperless system for EXIM processes in the port. Along with technology-led innovations which include IoT tugs, autonomous survey vessels, automatic tide gauges to measure tidal movements, OCR based systems, e-payments, etc.
With the Kidderpore docks designated for IWT trade and HDC to be the hub of LNG on the east coast, the port aspires to provide competitive services to its stakeholders and be the port of choice not only for hinterland and North-East India but also Eastern water grid including BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) & Myanmar.”
Union Minister Sonowal reiterated under ‘PM Gati Shakti’, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is set to play a major role in the realisation of the ‘National Master Plan’, a multi-modal connectivity masterplan launched by the Prime Minister. The construction of a trans-shipment hub at Greater Nicobar was also part of the discussions.
