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The cost of setting up two new major ports proposed in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal is estimated to be around Rs 15,800 crore, according to Rail India Technical and Economic Services (Rites), the engineering and consultancy arm of Indian Railways.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, shipping minister G K Vasan said the government had decided to set up two new major ports -- Sagar in West Bengal and Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
According to Rites, the capital costs involved in setting up Sagar port is estimated at Rs 7,820 crore, whereas for Dugarajapatnam port it is Rs 7,988 crore.
However, feasibility study of the proposed location was also being carried out by Rites, and the concessionaires for the two projects will be awarded in the financial year 2014-15, he said.
As part of the government's endeavour to modernise major ports, in 2012-13, 32 projects were awarded involving an estimated cost of Rs 6,765 crore, with a capacity addition of 136.75 mtpa.
During the current financial year (till date), the total number of projects awarded is five, involving a capacity addition of 48.59 mtpa, with an investment of Rs 2,045.25 crore.
The capacity of all major ports as on March 31, 2013, was at 744.91 million tonne (mt) against the traffic of 545.79 mt handled in 2012-13, with the capacity utilisation around 72 per cent.
