MARGAO
Saying that Goa has been a beautiful destination for tourists, both domestic and international, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said the Union government is committed to make Goa one of the global hubs of cruise industry.
He allayed fears raised by the people of Goa that Mormugao Port is being converted into a coal hub with increased coal handling activity, asserting that certain infrastructure that is being put in place at the MPA will never create any pollution. He said the dome under construction at the Mormugao Port at a cost of Rs 183 crore by JSW will never create pollution, asserting that the government always wanted to make Goa an eco-friendly and green destination.
The Union Minister was in Goa along with Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur for the two-day 20th Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) at a starred resort in Benaulim. Saying the event concluded with remarkable outcomes for India’s maritime sector, Sonowal said the two-day event saw the resolution of over 80 critical issues between the Central Government, States, and Union Territories, that focused on port infrastructure modernization, connectivity, statutory compliances, maritime tourism, navigation projects, sustainability, and port security.
When asked whether there’s any take away for Goa during the two-day event, Sonowal said the Union government want to make Goa a global hub for cruise. ‘Goa will be one of the biggest cruise industry. Goa is a lovely destination for both domestic and international. It has always been a lovely destination”, he said.
He added: “Our Ministry is committed to make Goa a cruise hub with the support of the people of Goa. We are definitely going to make Goa one the global hub for tourists”.
When his attention was drawn to the concerns expressed by the people of Goa that the Mormugao Port is being converted into a coal hub with increased coal handling at the Port, Sonowal said “we are creating certain infrastructure at the Port which will never create any pollution. That is why a dome is under construction costing Rs 183 crore by JSW. We always wanted to Goa make eco-friendly and green destination”.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Minister for Captain of Ports and Environment Alexio Sequeira also attended the concluded function of the two-day event.
The two-day conference of Maritime State Development Council has launched Indian International Maritime Dispute Resolution Centre (IIMDRC). It will offer a specialized platform for resolving maritime arbitrations/disputes positioning India as a Global Hub for Arbitration.
Another launch was the Indian Maritime Centre (IMC), which will serve as a Policy Think Tank and Maritime Advocacy in International forums will bring together maritime sector stakeholders. Also, it will facilitate innovation, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning to support maritime growth and development.
The event discussed Seafarers’ issues like shore leave and recognizing their role in global supply chains, has urged coastal states to endorse seafarers as ‘key essential workers’ and MHA to ensure immigration facilities at operational EXIM ports.
It was decided to create a dedicated working group under DG Shipping which will work to develop guidelines for deciding on ‘Places of Refuge’ (PoR) in India.
The meeting further decided that Customs and Ports will work together to develop requisite Radioactive Detection Equipment (RDE) infrastructure to check imports for any potential hazard to both national security and public health.
