Union Minister for Shipping Shri Ved Prakash Goyal
today laid the foundation of a permanent Terminal/Jetty at Gaighat,
Patna on the bank of river Ganga. The Terminal would cost Rs.
25.5 crores and is expected to be operative within coming financial
year. The city of Patna is placed midway on National Waterways
No. 1 which spread from Allahabad to Kolkata (1620 kms). The foundation
of similar Jetty worth Rs. 26 crores at Pandu in Guwahati was
also laid by the Minister last month on National Waterways No.
2. Shri Goyal made a personal inspection of the activities of
Inland Waterways Authority at Allahabad where a Terminal worth
Rs. 30 crores is planned in future.
Inland Waterways being the most economical mode
of transport and river Ganga flowing all across the hinterland
of Bihar, the development of such a terminal at Gaighat, Patna
is expected to provide several benefits to the State. There are
large numbers of commodities which can be transported through
NW-1, such as foodgrains, cement, stone, project cargo, pulses,
stone chips, iron scrap, maida, fruit/vegetables etc. The increase
of business activities on this route shall also generate backward
and forward linkage benefits in the adjoining regions.
Heralding the commitment of Central Government
to advance the inland water transport in the country, Minister
of Shipping, Shri Goyal had convened a national level meeting
of Inland Water Transport Council in New Delhi recently which
was attended by the Water Transport Ministers of all riverine
States. The Central Government and all such participating States
arrived at a common agenda in the meeting which slated to be implemented
shortly.
Considering the importance of inland water transport
for the economic development of various States, the Plan allocation
for the development of IWT Sector has been doubled to Rs. 688
crores in the 10th Five Year Plan.
