Sonowal discloses bank guarantee plan to support soft loans for barge operators
Contract has been awarded for Haldia inland waterway terminal, and the jetty will be soon operational for sending exim and inland cargo to Pandu terminal in Guwahati connecting the northeast with Kolkata via National Waterway 2, Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on 3 Jan 2022.
“This will provide an alternate to chicken neck route for easy and cost effective movement of cargo to and from northeast to the foreign countries and other states of India,” said the Minister during interaction with various stakeholders of port and shipping industry of Kolkata and Haldia port.
Major oil PSUs, steel companies like Tata steel and SAIL, terminal operators, shipping lines, barge operators, custom clearing agents and land users participated in the meeting.
Sonowal invited all of them to be a partner in this unique opportunity of using sea and river route combination (NW1 and NW2) via Kolkata port.
He also informed that (water) depth assurance contract have been awarded to maintain NW1 and NW2, and the barge operators shall soon start using these waterways as depths are assured.
The Minister also disclosed that plans are to provide guarantees to banks to get easy and soft funds for barges. Such fundings would boost the capacity of this critical segment of the waterway transportation.
The stakeholders assured that they will come forward to utilise this opportunity to make this mission a success. fiinews.com
