Mr Narendra Modi PM of India today laid the Foundation Stone of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Special Economic Zone, at Sheva in Navi Mumbai.
Mr Modi laid the Foundation Stone for widening of Port Connectivity Road from JNPT to the National Highway. He symbolically handed over land allotment letters to Project Affected Persons.
Addressing a large public gathering at the function site, he said that his Government had conceived Sagarmala, an ambitious project for maritime states. This would envisage not merely port development, but port-led development which would include ports, SEZs; and rail, road, air and waterway connectivity with the hinterland, including linkages of cold storage and warehousing facilities.
He added that two-third of all global trade, and 50 percent of container trade happens through the Indian Ocean, highlighted the importance of the ports sector. Ports can become gateways to India`s prosperity.
Mr Modi said that the Government is concerned at the large number of stalled
SEZ projects across the country, and a high-level team has been constituted to review the problems and resolve them at the earliest.
He said that export promotion was the need of the hour.
He added that "Until we join manufacturers in export promotion, and unless States and Centre work together, we cannot achieve new heights in exports."
He said that the Union Government had recently convened a meeting with States to understand bottlenecks in exports, and States would soon be given the right to form their own Export Promotion Councils. Let there be competition among States for exports.
He added that the Government had recently done away with the requirement of renewal of shipping licenses every year, and now the license would be granted for a lifetime, praising Union Minister for Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari for this move. His Government wishes to create an environment for ease of business, and encouragement for youth.
He said that shipbuilding is now a big opportunity. Noting the strides that South Korea has taken in shipbuilding, the Prime Minister said India should also try to do so.
He said that elaborating his theme of Come, make in India, which he mentioned during his Independence Day address, his Government will encourage foreign investment in shipbuilding.
He further added that made in India should occupy a place in the global market.
Source : steelguru.com