Paradip (Odisha): President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said that India’s ports need to function with greater efficiency in line with the global standards.
Speaking at the Boita Bandana ceremony, organized by the Paradip Port Authority here, the President said there is a need to further strengthen the infrastructure of Indian ports and increase their efficiency.
Maritime trade, she said has been playing an important role in the trade and economic development of the country.
The Sagarmala program, Murmu said is a commendable step in this direction, adding that the Government of India is working to realize the vision of ‘Ports for Prosperity’ and ‘Ports for Progress’.
She said 95 percent of India’s total trade in terms of volume and 65 percent in terms of value are done through sea transport.
The President remembered the historical memories of Baliyatra – a symbolic boat trip of merchants to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali every year is appreciable.
Apart from trade and commerce, the merchants had also played an important role in spreading Indian art and culture abroad.
Baliyatra, Murmu said, is a unique festival celebrated since time immemorial in the memory of its glorious past. This festival is a symbol of the prosperity of maritime trade of Odisha which also highlights the rich cultural consciousness of the people of the state.
On the occasion, She virtually inaugurated a Multi Model Logistic Park and laid the foundation stones for a new reservoir and water treatment plant for Port Township and next-gen Vessel Traffic Management and Information System.
The sea , Murmu said, has been a major means of strengthening India’s trade, commerce and international relations.
Literature based on the sea has also enriched Indian culture. Odisha and other coastal states had a long and prosperous tradition of naval commerce.
The President was happy to note that Paradip Port’s cargo handling capacity has doubled in the last decade and the port is poised to become the largest port on the east coast.
The port, she said had received the ‘Port of Operational Excellence Award’ at the Global Maritime India Summit – 2023 and expressed confidence that the Multi-Modal Logistics Park inaugurated today will give a new direction to the transparent development of trade
Murmu said that Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS) enabled new modern signal stations will make navigation through this port more safe and orderly.
UNI
