Paradip, July 29: Secretary to Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) T.K. Ramachandran made his maiden visit to Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and inaugurated and laid foundation stone of several significant projects worth more than Rs 13 crores.
He inaugurated the Trauma and Burn Care (TBC) Centre in the newly constructed Annex building of Paradip Port Hospital. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.90 Crores, the centre will provide curative and rehabilitative services for trauma and burn victims in and around Paradip.
He laid the foundation stone for the Water Treatment Plant of PPA. The project, being constructed at a cost of Rs. 10.50 Crores, will receive raw water through Taldanda Canal and will have the capacity to filter 16 million litres of water per day. The plant is expected to be completed by December 2024, enhancing the water infrastructure of Paradip Port and supplying quality drinking water to the citizens of Port Township.
Ramachandran reviewed the functioning of the PPA and interacted with Heads of Departments and Deputy Heads of Departments. He also inspected and reviewed port operations, planning, and expansion at the Mechanized Coal Handling Plant, Twin Wagon Tipplers at JSWPTPL, and KICT silos. He suggested system improvement measures to increase productivity.
The Secretary suggested several measures aimed at improving the overall performance of the port operations. These recommendations are expected to enhance the capacity and streamline the workflow, contributing to Paradip Port's long-term growth and success.
It is to be noted that, the Paradip Port in Odisha is the highest cargo handling major port of the country. In the financial year 2023-24 PPA became highest cargo handling port by handling 145.38 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput.
The goal under Vision 2047 is to increase the port handling capacity to 10,000 MTPA.
