Assam State Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary while speaking during a session on River Transport and Port Township, at Advantage Assam, said that Assam has a huge potentiality in river transport through two national waterways in the state, namely the Barak and the Brahmaputra.
World Bank is offering Rs 1,000 cr. and Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India has also sanctioned Rs 1,250 cr. and thus total of Rs 2,250 cr. is ready for investment in developing inland water transport in Assam and N.E. Besides Govt. of India has sanctioned 250 cr. for dredging some parts of the river Brahmaputra and Barak which fall in Bangladesh, he further added. He also revealed that Govt. of India has sanctioned 6 nos of modern ports on the bank of river Brahmaputra and 56 nos of modern jetties which will start its service very soon.
Ashutosh Agnihotri, Commissioner & Secretary, Transport Department, Govt. of Assam, said that present government is highly focusing on developing infrastructures of river transport in a collaborative manner with IWAI in Assam and N.E regions to reinforce transformation through transportation.
Hiten Ghelani, C.E.O. Mahindra Oddysea, said that waterways of Assam have to be used more effectively for enrichment of state economy. River Transport System is vital for speedy development of a state. He also revealed that Mahindra is presently working on solar boats and Assam’s Brahmaputra and Barak can be its next prime destination for solar boat plying.
Gopal Krishna, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India, says that the funding issue for infrastructural development of waterways has also been resolved since Minister Sri Nitin Gadkari has agreed to give 2.5% of Central Road Fund to maintain national waterways. The projects of six modern ports in Assam waterways are to be executed jointly by Goa Port, Dindayal Port etc. under IWAI.