Union minister Nitin Gadkari today announced setting up of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at JNPT in Mumbai and Kandla in Gujarat, which will help in generating employment opportunities.
Gadkari, a minister for Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, made this announcement after chairing the two-day long review meeting of various projects in ports and rivers.
He said the SEZs are planned at JNPT and Kandla ports which will bring in investment and generate employment opportunities.
"We are creating special economic zone in JNPT which would be spread across 650 acres. That will have investment to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore creating 40,000 jobs," he said.
Gadkari said there are offers from around 40 companies to set up their facilities at JNPT.
The minister said that of Rs 16 lakh crore which would be spent on Sagarmala project, almost Rs 6 lakh crore, would be spent on modernisation, mechanisation and computerisation of the ports.
The union government will also appoint a consultant to raise the standards of Indian ports to international mark, he said.
Gadkari projected that the ports will net a profit of Rs 6,000 crore for the current fiscal.
"The ministry has also suggested that the ports should have their subsidiary which will work towards turning the rivers into inland waterways," he added.
The minister also announced introduction of cruise service between Goa to Mumbai before December this year and ferry service from Goa airport to hotels.
"We are introducing ferry service from airport to hotels in Goa. The hotel can have their own jetty. This will promote tourism," he said.
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