Union ministry of shipping is expending Rs 4142 crore on development of 28 fishing harbours across India under the Sagarmala programme, minister for road transport and highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari said. These include four in Karnataka, six in Maharashtra, three in Gujarat, two in Odisha, five in Andhra Pradesh, two in Kerala and one in Goa. These projects will propel fishing activity in these regions, he noted.
Laying foundation stone for Kulai fishing harbour at a cost of Rs 196.51-crore and four major NH projects worth Rs 3728 crore in Dakshina Kannada district via video-conferencing, Nitin Gadkari the projects will aid construction of shore based allied industry. The fishing harbour will ease congestion at old Mangaluru port at Bunder and also allow fishermen of Kulai and adjoining areas to land more fish catch and return to harbour safely, he said.
The Kulai harbour on completion in May 2022 will provide direct employment opportunities to 2300 fishermen and generate 1700 onshore employment opportunities, he said, adding it will also provide indirect employment opportunities to 4500 other people through host of activities that the harbour will spur. Harbour will provide shelter to 120 trawlers of 12 metre length, 110 trawlers of 18m length and 45 purseine boats of 18m length.
Lauding tenacity of DK MP Nalin Kumar Kateel in consistently following up on the fishing harbour project with local fishermen leader as well as four major NH projects, Gadkari said he has also responded to two problematic NH projects in the district – Pumpwell (Mahavir) Circle and Thokkottu flyovers. While the Thokkottu flyover will be completed by March 31, the minister said the Pumpwell flyover will be completed by May 31.
It was on the persistence of the MP that I intervened and sent a high powered team to resolve these two-vexing issues as far as road development projects in the parliamentary constituency is concerned, the minister said. A team headed by Vaibhav Dange, personal secretary to the minister had visited the city on February 28 and sorted out the various hurdles that Navayug Udupi Tollway Pvt Ltd, concessionaire of the project faced.
Earlier, Kailash Agarwal, joint secretary, ministry of shipping (Sagarmala project) who too addressed the audience via video-conferencing said ministry has met a long-standing demand of people who had given up land for setting up the port at Panambur. The fishing harbour will ensure that the fishermen land 27,000 metric tonnes of fish valued at Rs 172.5-crore annually. The ministry has released Rs 49 crore in first instalment for the project, he said.
