The government is all set to appoint a consultancy firm to assist the Shipping Ministry in promoting coastal shipping.
"Promotion of coastal shipping and inland water transport (IWT) facilities could be enhanced through a mix of infrastructure and policy initiatives," says Shipping Ministry document.
It added that bids for appointment of a consultant have been invited and a final decision was likely soon.
The document said some of initiatives to promote coastal shipping include providing green channel for coastal cargo and easier ingress/egress from ports and simplifying procedures on manning norms.
It also include promoting research and manufacturing of equipment and vessels for coastal/inland use besides providing for provisions for setting up a coastal shipping promotion fund.
Promotion of coastal shipping is also an agenda in the government's ambitious Sagarmala project.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting his full-fledged maiden budget had said developing infrastructure is a priority area of the government and pitched for corporatisation of state-run ports in the country.
"Ports need to attract investment as well as leverage the huge land resource lying unused with them and to enable us to do so ports in public sector will be encouraged to corporatise and become companies under the Company's Act," he had said.
