Union Shipping Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal says, Haldia Jetty will be soon operational; contract awarded for this inland terminal for reviving the old river route from Haldia to Pandu

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal today announced that the contract has been awarded for the Haldia inland waterway terminal, and the jetty will be soon operational for sending Exim and inland cargo to Pandu terminal in Guwahati connecting the northeast with Kolkata via National waterway 2. This will provide an alternative chicken neck route for easy and cost-effective movement of cargo to and from the northeast to the foreign countries and other states of India.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal interacted with various stakeholders of the port and shipping industry of Kolkata and Haldia port. Major oil PSUs, steel companies like Tata Steel and SAIL, terminal operators, shipping lines, barge operators, custom clearing agents and land users of Syama prasad Mookerjee Port participated in the meeting. The minister invited all of them to be a partner in this unique opportunity of using sea and river route combination (NW1 and NW2) via Kolkata port.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal also informed that depth assurance contracts have been awarded to maintain NW1 and 2, and the barge operators shall soon start using these waterways as depths are assured. Shri Sarbananda Sonowal also said that there is thinking to provide a guarantee to banks to give easy and soft funds for barges so that this sector can take off. The stakeholders assured that they will come forward to utilise this opportunity to make this mission a success. More than 40 key players participated in the stakeholder’s conference.

Disclaimer : This is an official press release by PIB.