Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government will usher in a ‘blue revolution’ by developing India’s coastal regions and working for the welfare of fishing communities. He has announced the plans to develop a smart city around Kandla port in Gujarat, one of the 12 major ports in India.

“The country’s vast coast can bring in a revolution. The government’s Sagarmala project is an initiative in this direction and it will attract investment to the tune of Rs 8 lakh crore. It will create industrial and tourism development along coastal line,” Modi said in a public gathering after performing a special puja at Somnath temple, where he is a trustee.

“This will include 40 port projects from Gujarat which will be developed for an investment of about Rs 45,000 crore,” the PM had said.

“Five poor fishermen can form a co-operative and avail 50% subsidy and Rs 1 crore loan from Mudra scheme. Fishermen can buy a fishing trawler with cold storage facility and increase their income,” he said.

Modi had said that the port had achieved a cargo handling capacity of 100 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in 2015-2016 and this year it will handle 110 MTPA of cargo.

By Premji