Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today strongly pitched for India's re-election to the Council of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London listing the government's major initiatives, including Sagarmala project.
"India is hereby putting forward its candidature for a re-election to the Council of the IMO in Category-B representing the developing countries and those with the largest interests in international sea borne trade," Union Shipping and Road Transport Minister Gadkari said addressing the IMO in London today.
A shipping ministry release here quoted the minister as saying India would rededicate itself with renewed commitment towards the development of the objectives of IMO, if re- elected, and leverage the opportunity for the accelerated and sustained growth of the global maritime community.
With the Indian economy poised to grow faster, the government is alive to the possibility of a quantum jump in the maritime activities on the Indian Coasts, he said.
Listing initiatives, he said the government has launched flagship Sagarmala project for port-led development including modernisation and new port development, port connectivity, port led industrialisation and port community development.
"Under this programme, 6 new major ports, 150 projects to modernise existing ports including construction of new berths, and 130 projects in rail and road sectors for last mile connectivity have been identified requiring investment of USD 100 billion by 2025, of which, about USD 40 billion already stands spent," Gadkari said.
Making a strong case for India's re-election to the global body, the minister said India's ancient trade and cultural ties with Mesopotamia, Mediterranean rim countries, South East Asia, China, Middle East and Africa are testimonial to its rich maritime heritage.
He said India has a large coastline of 7,500 Kms, inland waterways of 20,000 Km, over 200 major and minor ports and increasing ship building, repair and recycling facilities.
India is also strategically located in the corridor through which substantial part of the east-west seaborne traffic flows, he said adding, India has about 1,400 vessels with gross tonnage of about 12.2 million.
In addition, it has a large number of inland and near- coastal vessels. Nearly 90 per cent of Indias overseas trade by volume is carried through ships of which 92 per cent is carried by foreign flag vessels.
The minister said the government has identified 111 inland waterways for river navigation, of which 32 will be developed in the first phase at an estimated investment of USD 800 million.
Stressing that as India expands its maritime activities, the guidance of IMO will become even more valuable, he said India has been one of the founder members of IMO and has been part of the IMO Council since then, except in 1983-84.
He added that C P Srivastava, IMO's longest serving Secretary General from 1974 to 1989, remains the most important face of India's commitment to the IMO's activities.
The minister further said the world's premier ship recycling facility is located at Alang Sosiya, in Gujarat, where nearly half of the worlds scrapped ships are recycled.
To make ship recycling industry safe for its workers and the surrounding environment, a draft legislation to implement the Hong Kong Convention is now undergoing pre- legislative consultations and "I am confident that we would ratify this convention in not so distant future," he said.
He added that India has more than 4,000 seafarers who are the preferred choice for specialised vessels besides the Indian Naval ships and aircrafts continuing to escort merchant ships of all nations in the Gulf of Aden.
"Even though there have been no successful hijackings of commercial vessels since May 2012, in the waters east of 65 degrees longitude, India continues to participate in all global forum to eradicate piracy in the Somalia region. India has been elected as a Co-chair for Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS)," he said.
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