Guwahati, Jul 7 (PTI) Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said 50,000 youths from the northeastern states will be trained for maritime jobs over the next 10 years as the Centre mulls Rs 5,000 crore investment to develop waterways-related project in the region.
Addressing a press conference here, the Union ports, shipping and waterways minister announced a host of initiatives undertaken as part of the 'Maritime India Vision 2030' to develop the waterways across the country as well as the northeast.
"Over the past 11 years, the ministry has transformed India's maritime sector with record growth in cargo handling, capacity and coastal shipping. Major ports have nearly doubled their capacity, and cruise tourism is rising with ambitious new terminals," Sonowal said.
India is targeting to be the top 10 shipbuilding nations in the world by 2030 and top five by 2047, he added.
"The government aims to train 50,000 youths from the northeast in maritime skills over the next decade, offering them assured employment opportunities in the growing sector. The Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and the upcoming Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh aim to power this transformation," Sonowal said.
The CoE will be developed with an investment of Rs 200 crore and the two centres are likely to produce 500 jobs annually, he added.
The minister announced multiple initiatives by the Centre to boost the waterways and maritime sector in the region, and said that the government has drawn up major initiatives in this regard with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.
He said that his ministry has undertaken projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the northeast's inland waterways sector over the past two years, with works valued at Rs 300 crore completed and those worth Rs 700 crore slated for completion by 2025.
"Major initiatives include permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur, year-round fairway dredging, a new approach road to Pandu port, heritage restoration in Dibrugarh, and tourist jetties worth Rs 299 crore," Sonowal said.
He also said that four lighthouses will be constructed along the bank of the Brahmaputra at Bogibeel, Biswanath, Silghat and Pandu in Guwahati, and make them tourist spots apart from giving weather information.
Feasibility studies found it favourable to operate water metros in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh, and cruise vessels are being procured under central schemes, he said.
"For Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, efforts are on to expand inland water transport infrastructure and promote water-based tourism," Sonowal said.
He said that other key initiatives include the deployment of 100 barges operated by German firm Rhenus on National Waterways-2 and 16 by 2025, and deploying 10 amphibian and cutter suction dredgers along with an investment of Rs 610 crore to ensure round-the-year navigability in Brahmaputra.
Sonowal also announced plans to develop 85 community jetties across the Northeast to improve local connectivity.
"These projects reflect our commitment to transform the northeast into a major hub of waterways-based trade, tourism and employment, aligned with PM Narendra Modi's vision of inclusive development," he added.