BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Thursday informed the Assembly that primary construction works have begun for the proposed river mouth based port in Balasore district.
Responding to a query of BJD MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said that in addition to the existing major port at Paradip and minor ports at Dhamra and Gopalpur, the State government has planned to build 12 more minor ports for which sites have already been identified.
The Minister said that the 12 more minor ports will come up at Subarnarekha, Bichitrapur, Bahabalpur, Inchudi and Chandipur in Balasore district, Chudamani in Bhadrak, Akhadashali in Kendrapara district, Jatadhar in Jagatsinghpur, Astaranga and Baliharachandi in Puri district and Palur and Bahuda in Ganjam district.
She further informed that concession agreement has been signed with Creative Port Development Private Limited (now Subarnarekha Port Private Limited) for constructing a port at the river mouth of Subarnarekha and Navayuga Engineering Company Limited for developing the Astaranga Port.
While Techno Economic Feasibility report have been prepared for developing ports at Bahabalpur, Baliharachandi, Bahuda and Akhadashali, the proposal of Pradeep Port Trust for construction and management of the proposed port at Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district has been approved by the State government.
Earlier, the State government had informed the Assembly that 692.680 acre of land has been given to the developer as against its requirement of 961.180 acre for Subarnarekha Port. The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for it on February 13, 2019 and the preliminary work has started.
The Astaranga Port that requires 3899.987 acres of land is entangled in a land row as locals are protesting against the project. The written reply of the Minister is however silent over the quantum of investment attracted by the State for these port projects.
Responding to another question of Patnaik, the Water Resources Minister said that the Central Water Commission has neither taken the Odisha government into confidence nor sought its views while allowing construction of multiple barrages.