With the amendment of the National Highways Act in 1995, the way is now clear for private participation in road building. The national highway authority has invited global tenders for feasibility studies and construction of super-highways which would connect major metropolitan areas and manufacturing centres to major ports, the survey said. A similar strategy is being implemented for ports. Two dry docks at Calcutta have already been privatised and BOT offers for 15 berths are being sought. During April-November '95, India's 11 major ports handled 137 million tonnes of cargo, an 11.1 per cent increased on 1994.
Indian shipping shows an equally strong growth.
Fleet strength at the end of 1995 was 471 vessels totalling seven million GRT as against 438 vessels of 6.4 million GRT the previous year. Indian ships carry a little more than a third of India's foreign trade. Air freight has been growing at an average rate 11 to 12 per cent a year with 1994-95's figures indicating 4.94 million tonnes were handled at the five major international airports. But both airlines are reporting strong traffic growth. We need better productivity from them.