Paradip: The Union government has sanctioned Rs 99.75 crore for the development of the fishing jetty in this port town, a report said.
The amount will be spent on the construction of a second auction hall, a cold storage and mechanisation of the fishing jetty among others, port sources said.
Construction of the riverine port is underway at about two km from the Mahanadi river mouth. The Paradip Fishery Harbour is located on the right bank of Mahanadi, about 2 km off stream of the river mouth.
The fishing harbour spreads over an area of 39 acres, of which the basin area spreads over 21 acres. Currently, the harbour is being used by more than 740 fishing vessels.
The existing facilities are not upto international standards in terms of washing, sorting, packing and loading fish to trucks and maintaining cleanliness at the harbour.
In order to meet the international standards and thereby increase the export volume, the Union government has approved the upgradation and modernisation of the fishery harbour at Paradip at an estimated cost of Rs 99.75 crore with 100 per cent Central financial assistance under the Central Sector Scheme Component of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
The matter came to fore after Paradip Port Trust Chairman PL Haranadh and Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) Managing Director Anil Gupta signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Friday.
The MoU was signed at Mumbai on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Centre’s ambitious Sagarmala Project. Other ministers and senior officials were present during the signing of the MoU.
PNN