BHUBANESWAR: The port city of Paradip will be developed as a smart industrial city, said Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari on the occasion of signing of MoU for Paradip-Numaligarh crude oil pipeline project here on Sunday.
The report submitted by Ved Prakash committee on development of port trust hospitals to super speciality institutions and into a medical college, is under scrutiny and a decision will be taken on it very shortly, he said.
"We have already made a plan for crore capacity expansion of Paradip port from the existing 143 million tonne per annum (MTPA) to 350 MTPA with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore. Works on the project have started and the port is going to be developed as a major industrial hub," Gadkari said.
Under Sagarmala programme an investment of Rs 15 lakh crore will be made out of which Rs 4 lakh crore for port mechanisation and modernisation. A provision of about Rs one lakh crore has been made for road connection to the ports.
Stating that the proposed smart city at Paradip will have multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs), industrial parks, residential and commercial areas, water management system, waste recycling centre and creek development programme for
tourism, Gadkari said the port will be the growth engine of Odisha.
He said that work on the Talcher-Paradip rail line is expected to commence from this year. Besides, dredging work has started for developing an inland waterway in river Brahmani.
"Now we are examining two projects for Odisha. Production of urea from coal through coal gasification process and use of iron slag for cement production," Gadkari said.
With huge reserve of coal, Odisha has the potential to produce gas from coal and convert it further to urea which is said to be cheaper than the fertiliser produced from natural gas.
"While urea produced from natural gas costs about Rs 15,000 per tonne, the cost of production from coal is Rs 10,000 per tonne. The government, which is giving fertiliser subsidy to the tune of Rs 73,000 crore every year will save a substantial amount," he said.
With availability of iron slag aplenty, Odisha has the potential to produce cement at cheaper rate by using limestone and clinker from Rajsthan.
"If cement is available at Rs 150 per bag in Odisha, it will be a big contribution for development of the State," Gadkari said.
Replying to a question on the proposed coastal highway project from Digha in West Bengal to Gopalpur in Odisha, Gadkari said a detailed project report is under preparation.