New Delhi, Dec 10: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Purvodaya mission’ initiative, the 'double engine government’ is committed to the overall development of Odisha, especially to make Paradip Port a modern port, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.

The double engine government refers to the BJP government both at the Centre and State.

In a social media post, Pradhan said, “In the presence of MPs of Odisha, we discussed with Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, about the projects being implemented by the State government of Odisha and the central government for the development of ports and river waterways and the plans for the coming days. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Purvodaya mission’ initiative, the 'double engine government’ is committed to the overall development of Odisha, especially to make Paradip Port a state-of-the-art port.”

“There were fruitful discussions on the accelerated development of ports in Odisha, long-term plan for the development of river waterways, construction of a cruise terminal in Puri, Sagarmala project, improving the livelihood of fishermen and exporting marine products to the state and outside the country, accelerated development of National Waterway 5, and connectivity of Talcher, Paradip and Dhamra ports with Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara in various phases,” he added.

The Union Minister further said that the meeting also discussed about skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of the young women working in the ship industry in Odisha. The Modi government aims to develop a port-based economy in the state through its holistic and sustainable development by harnessing the immense potential of the maritime sector in Odisha.

Pradhan also extended his gratitude to his cabinet colleague Sarbananda Sonowal for taking various steps for the development of maritime sector and promising to expedite them in Odisha.

Notably, Odisha’s Paradip Port was among the top three ports across the country in terms of profitability in the financial year 2023-24. 

In a written reply, Sonowal stated Paradip Port’s net surplus was Rs 1571.10 Crore during the 2023-24 financial year. The Operating Surplus of the Port was Rs 1,512.93 Crore.

Read More Odisha News