Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) Dy Chairman G P Rai said that the Port was only an EXIM Gate and clarified that the doubling of tracks was a railway project and not a port project.
Rai, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the distribution of the prizes of the 8th Annual Mormugao Ship Agents Association cricket tournament, also added that transportation of Iron ore from Karnataka was earning a good revenue for the Port.
“The Port is an EXIM Gateway, and the Doubling of Tracks is a Railway project, not a port project. The Port definitely cannot survive without road and rail connectivity, and while doubling of tracks may be good for the Port, it does not mean that it is only for the Port,” said Rai.
“Normally, the iron ore used to be handled at Goa, but the new trend is that Ore is coming to the Port from Karnataka, which generates very good revenue for the Port. This is a good avenue for the Port and adds around 2 million in traffic at MPA, which is a good sign. We are very positive now and hope that we will return to our original position by 2024,” said Rai.
“The Port has got new cargo in the form of Bauxite and Urea, and while we can bring in a lot of new cargo, we face restriction of storage area. We also face constraints like single-lane railways and improper highway connectivity. If waterways are channelised, we can go to the maximum limit of cargo that can be handled in the Port,” said Rai.
“The cruise business is not profitable for the Port, and it is only the venture by the Government of India for the development of the Port and the states. It may take a few years till cruise tourism becomes profitable for the MPA, and the rise of cruise tourism is a benefit for the state,” said Rai.
