Minister | Business Upturn

India targets 300% increase in port handling capacity by 2047: MoPSW Sarbananda Sonowal

Dixita Hazarika — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 12:06:27 +0000

On Saturday, at the 19th Maritime States Development Council meeting in Kevadia, Gujarat, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal, in a statement said that due to the rapid expansion, by 2047 the country expects an increase in the cargo handling capacity of sea and river ports by almost 300 percent.

He said, “The country’s total port capacity will increase from the existing 2,600 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to more than 10,000 MTPA in 2047.”

Citing the impressive 16 percent YoY growth in cargo movement through inland waterways, Sonowal said that the government now aims for significantly increasing it to 500 MTPA by 2047.

The minister also said that the government will soon set up a port security agency to improve and regulate the security of the country’s port assets.

At present, India has 13 major seaports and over 180 minor ports which account for the bulk movement of its maritime traffic.

He also mentioned that MoPSW planned to develop green hydrogen hubs at all ports, including the central and state-government-owned. He said, “All central government and state government ports will explore the possibility of creating hydrogen hubs.”

Calling the sector a catalyst for economic growth, Sonowal said that the role of private sector players was being gradually expanded as PPP terminals currently handle about 50 percent of cargo at major ports. Efforts were being made to increase its share to about 85 percent in the next few decades.

The minister, while mentioning the SagarMala Programme to expand the logistics sector, noted that the initiative had significantly increased the port capacity, connectivity and operational efficiency for reducing costs, shortening vessel turnaround time, accommodating larger ships and elevating the strategic relevance of Indian ports in the South Asia region.

He appealed to all coastal states and federal states to continue their unwavering support to the MoPSW, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Railways to accelerate the important development projects under SagarMala.

“If narco test of ministers is done, more than 60% will be found guilty”: Rajendra Gudha

Dixita Hazarika — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 20:25:26 +0000

Sacked Minister Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha on Tuesday called for a narco test on all ministers in the state, a day after he waved a ‘red diary’ in the assembly alleging it contained details of financial irregularities involving Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and others.

He said that if the narco test of all the ministers is done, more than 60% of ministers will be found guilty.

In an interview, he also took sides with Sachin Pilot in the now-off, now-on tussle between Mr Gehlot and his former deputy.

He hit out at Ashok Gehlot for calling senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot “nikamma”, “nakara” and “gaddar”. Mr Pilot’s father Rajesh Pilot worked for the Congress and Sachin Pilot himself has been working for the party for 20 years, Mr Gudha said.

Mr Gudha was suspended from the Rajasthan assembly on Monday after it saw unruly scenes including pushing and shoving over the ‘red diary’. He has been targeting Ashok Gehlot following his sacking on Friday evening, hours after he cornered his own government in the Assembly over the issue of crimes against women in the state.

Mr Gudha held charge as the minister of state for Sainik Kalyan (Independent Charge), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.

On Tuesday, the former minister also claimed that he wanted to table the diary in the assembly.

Referring to Ashok Gehlot sacking him as a minister, Mr Gudha said, “I had only said that we need to introspect on the issues of crimes against women for which I was terminated from the council of ministers.” He said he has never relied on Mr Gehlot for votes, and reminded that the group of ex-Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs in the House has supported the Congress veteran.

He further added that,”We have voted six times in Rajya Sabha elections for him, supported him for chief minister twice, voted in the president’s election. We have saved the Congress government during a political crisis. We have worked a lot for the state and for him.”

Answering a question about whether the issues raised by him will affect Congress in the upcoming elections, the ex-minister said, “Women are feeling insecure. Recruitment exam papers have leaked. Those made members were involved in selling the papers.” “There is resentment among the youth. The youth and the unemployed are dying by suicide,” he added.

Mr Gudha said that he will visit every village in his constituency and seek people’s opinions before deciding the future course of action about his political career.

Rishi Sunak could be next PM of the United Kingdom; Check official updates

Pranay Maniar — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:24:40 +0000

Rishi Sunak is a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. Who is also now in the race to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The race was just further intensified as two Conservative Lawmakers and ministers inched closer by closing in on Rishi Sunak’s gap.

In a vote among conservative party lawmakers, Kimi Badenoch was knocked out, leaving Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary and Penny Mordaunt, the junior minister of trade as the remaining candidates against the former Finance minister.

The Tory Lawmakers will eliminate one more candidate before the 2 lakh member strong party chooses their new Prime Minister.

The Tories reached this stage as the former Prime Minister resigned earlier this month. As his scandal-stained administration had lost the support of many of the Conservatives.

Rishi Sunak was one of the Ministers to resign from Boris Johnson’s administration. Which led to several cabinet ministers following suit that triggered Boris Johnson’s eventual resignation.

All the top three candidates have promised policies like tax cuts to ease the pockets of the average British taxpayer in these tough, an increase in defence spending up to 3% of the total GDP and economic reforms to bring the British economy out of the doldrums as the economy has been tanking since Brexit and was made worse by the pandemic.

Rishi Sunak also promises harsher sentences for criminals. Who fail to attend court proceedings and will crack down on gangs that groom young girls and women for sex.

The results of this poll will take place on 5^th September. After all the two lakh members cast their postal ballots within the two months to select their new Prime Minister.