Odisha inks MoU for ₹4,000-cr riverine port in Mahanadi

The Odisha government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for setting up of ₹4,000 crore riverine port projects in Mahanadi. The proposed port will come up at Akhadasali village under Mahakalapada block in Kendrapara district, 13 km from the river mouth at Paradip. This all-weather and multi-user port on the river will be set up in a public-private partnership (PPP) model with a capacity of 54 MTPA. In the first phase, the port will have the capacity to handle 22 MTPA cargoes at an investment of ₹2,562 core. While the Paradip Port Trust will develop supporting infrastructures like rail and road connectivity and dredging requirements of the facility, the state government has already identified 300 hectares of land for the project and will also provide the necessary support to PPT in respect to any additional land required for the project. On commissioning of the project, the port will provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to more than 4,000 persons in the first phase and about another 1,700 people in the 2nd phase. The riverine port, along with the state-aided Haridaspur Paradip Railway line, will go a long way in boosting the economy of the Kendrapara district.