UNION MINISTER
FOR SHIPPING SHRI V.P. GOYAL’S CALL FOR DEVELOPMENT RIVER TRANSPORT
AT IWTDC MEET
With a view to revamp
the centrally sponsored scheme for the Inland Water Sector, instead
of 50 per cent reimbursable loan 90 per cent grant will be given
to States other than that of the Northeast, provided 10 per cent
is provided by the State Governments in their budgets. For the
Northeast and Sikkim, it will be 100 per cent grant and with this
substantial change in the CSS pattern the States will be able
to take up large number of Inland Water Transport Development
Programmes so that alongwith a National Waterways, various stretches
of the State waterways are also developed. This was stated by
Shri V.P. Goyal, Union Minister of Shipping while inaugurating
the Second Inland Water Transport Development Council held here
today.
The Minister said
higher outlay of Rs. 668 crores in the Tenth Plan for IWT sector
has been fixed compared to Rs. 308 crores during the Ninth Plan.
For the first time proposals for assistance from ADB and World
Bank have been entertained and ADB is launching a Technical Assistance
Mission for IWT sector. The Minister said Inland vessel building
subsidy with 30 per cent subsidy for vessel owners have been introduced
to boost inland water movement of cargo. Permanent terminals at
Pandu, Assam on NW-2 (Rs. 25 crores), Patna, Bihar on NW-1 (Rs.
26 crores) and Kerala on NW-3 (Rs. 27 crores) are expected to
be operative within the next financial year. The dredging work
on NW-1 and NW-2 is at an advanced stage to make to water route
navigable, the Minister added.
The Minister announced
that the first national level Inland Water Training Institute
with its own building and facilities would become operational
in Patna by February next year for specialised training in areas
like navigation Pilotage, running and maintenance of engine, marking
channels etc. Shri V.P. Goyal called upon the participating States
to render their best coordinated support for the Development of
the River Transport across the country and strengthen the Government
Policy for balanced regional development. He said the next meeting
of the Council will be held in Cochin in the next four month.
Shri M.P. Pinto,
Secretary, Ministry of Shipping said at the meeting of the Secretaries
incharge of IWT of States held yesterday the need to set up joint
ventures to encourage private participation was stressed. Other
points that came up in the meeting were setting up of separate
directorate for IWT to give fillip to this sector, promotion of
Tourism through IWT and setting up of local committees to monitor
the works of IWT.
The meeting was attended
by Minister of State for Shipping Shri Su. Thirunavukarasar, Ministers’
incharge of inland water transport of 15 States, namely, Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority
of India and the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping who is
Member Secretary of the Council.
The council was set
up on May 14, 2001, to monitor the status and progress of development
of waterways and improvement in the share of IWT in cargo and
passenger movement, review the policy frame work, examine requirement
of funds and recommend facilitative steps, besides measures for
development of IWT as a component in multi model transport.
