PANAJI
The Central government’s project to encourage RO-RO and RO-PAX ferry service in the port town of Goa is set to be built at a whopping Rs 21 crore. The passenger jetty at Vasco Bay-Mormugao Port is among 42 places in the coastal states of India selected under the Sagarmala project for development to boost inland tourism.
Replying to an unstarred question on Tuesday, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Rajya Sabha that the government has already proposed to develop the ferry services to connect tourist potential places along the western coast from Kanyakumari to Goa to enhance tourism and ease traffic flow on coastal roads.
MPA will be the implementing agency for the project. While Goa has just one jetty under the Central scheme, Maharashtra will get the maximum number of RO-RO and RO-PAX jetties followed by Odisha, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Given the 'success of these projects, high demand and potential,' the Central government has mid last year planned additional projects at close to 30 places in Maharashtra; four projects in Andhra Pradesh, two projects in Odisha and one each in Tamil Nadu and Goa, etc.
In 2021’s Maritime India Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to introduce urban water transport systems in Gujarat, Goa, Kerala and Maharashtra.
