The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is likely to hold a significant meeting of the State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees (SMWTCs) on Tuesday.
This virtual meeting aims to discuss the holistic development of maritime and waterways transport across India and extend its reach to encompass all remaining states.
An official statement released on Saturday confirmed that T K Ramachandran, Secretary of the Ministry, will chair the meeting. It will focus on several critical areas:
The Ministry has emphasized the necessity for a coordinated strategy to effectively manage and integrate the waterways transportation sector.
To this end, State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees have been established to oversee various initiatives and schemes within each state.
These committees will play a crucial role in consolidating efforts and providing focused leadership in the maritime and waterways sector.
Each state committee is led by the Chief Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary and includes representatives from major ports, maritime boards, state PWD, Inland Waterways, Department of Tourism, Department of Fisheries, Railways, NHAI, and Customs.
Currently, SMWTCs have been set up in 13 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Lakshadweep.
Plans are underway to establish these committees in all 30 coastal and waterways states and UTs across India.
The agenda for the meeting includes:
Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries, as Chairpersons of SMWTCs, will present the progress in their respective states, discuss state-specific issues, and highlight the support needed from the Ministry.
The meeting aims to review progress, address issues, and foster collaborative solutions to enhance maritime and waterways transport in India.
Also Read: PM Modi To Launch Groundbreaking Borivali-Thane Tunnel Project
India will continue to expand faster than any G7 economy over the rest of this…
Global brokerage firm Morgan Stanley has expressed continued optimism about Indian equity markets heading into…
In a remarkable display of talent and creativity, six-year-old Vidhat, a resident of Karimnagar, is…
Corporate India saw a sales growth of 7.2% in FY25, up from 4.7% the previous…
India recorded a current account surplus of $13.5 billion or 1.3% of GDP in Q4…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the centenary celebrations of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan…