Augmenting capacity

The government would award port projects worth Rs 14,500 crore this financial year to augment major ports’ capacity to about 934 million tonnes (mt) a year, Shipping Minister G K Vasan said on Monday. The ministry has set a target to award projects for creating 244 mt of capacity during 2012-13, spread across 42 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 14,500 crore. The capacity of major ports by the end of March 2012 was recorded at 689.83 mt a year. A look at cargo handled by the major ports in 2011-12 (Click on graphic)