Parliament Question: Improvement in Port Infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS LOK S ABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 965 ANSWERED ON 25.07.2025 IMPROVEMENT IN PORT INFRASTRUCTURE

965. SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:

SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SMT. SHAMBHAVI:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: प(cid:517)न, पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी

(a) the measures implemented by the Government to reduce the average turnaround time of major ports in the country;

(b) the manner in which the Government plans to enhance operational efficiency at ports to facilitate quicker loading and unloading processes;

(c) the details of any specific initiatives or investments aimed at improving port infrastructure and technology;

(d) the role played by stakeholder engagement in identifying bottlenecks and streamlining operations at major ports; and

(e) the manner in which the Government intends to monitor progress in reducing turnaround times and improving overall port performance? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) and (b) The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has undertaken several initiatives to reduce the average turnaround time and enhance operational efficiency at major ports in the country. These include the construction of new berths, terminals and parking plazas, mechanization and modernization of existing port infrastructure, process re-engineering, digitalization of port processes, and enhancement of hinterland connectivity through improved rail and road networks.

(c) To improve port infrastructure and technology, various projects have been operationalised, focusing on modernization and capacity expansion of berths and terminals such as Vadhvan Port, Tuna Tekra Cargo Terminal etc. Moreover, the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 has provided greater autonomy to port authorities, market driven tariff mechanism for PPP operators to boost private investment and efficiency.

(d) Stakeholders play a pivotal role in identifying bottlenecks and streamlining operations by providing feedback and comments during policy formulation, projectrestructuring etc. Moreover, major ports engage in regular interactions with stakeholders.

(e) To monitor the overall port performance including turnaround time, the Sagarmanthan Dashboard has been developed wherein these indicators are regularly tracked and assessed to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented measures.

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