Lok Sabha Question No. 2046 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-22
Subject: Arth-Ganga Project
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: Jayanta Kumar Roy, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2046

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22ND SEPTEMBER.2O2O

## ARTH.GANGA PROJECT

2046. DR. JAYANTA  KUMAR ROY:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA  KUMARI SINGH DEO: SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR: SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA  NAIK: DR. SUKANTA  MAJUMDAR: SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased to state:

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- (a) whether the Government  has proposed  Arth-Ganga  Project to channelize economic activity along  the banks of Ganga river if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government  is considering  to corporatize at least one major port and Subsequently  its listing on the stock exchanges'  if so, the details thereof,
- (c) whether the Government had decided that governance  framework keeping with global benchmarks needed for more efficient sea-ports and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government  has approved  Major Port Authority  Bill, 2020 to replace existing Major Port Trust Act to provide  more operational autonomy  to ports; and
- (e) if so, the other steps being taken by the Government  in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR SHIPPING (SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) Yes, Sir.  'Arth Ganga' Project  conceptualized  by the Hon'ble Prime Minister aims to energize economic  activities for uplifting living standard of people along the banks  of river Ganga.

ln so far as the Ministry of shipping is concerned,  the objectives  of Arth Ganga have been aligned with the  project  development  objectives  of Jal Marg Vikas Project  (JMVP), a flagship project undertaken  by lnland watenruays  Authority  of lnclia (lwAl) with the technical and financial  assistance of the world  Bank at an estimaied revised cost of Rs. 4633 81 crore for the capacity  augmentation  of National waterway-l  (NW-l) from Varanasi to Haldia. The activities  under Arth Ganga  include development  of floatir-rg  community  jetties' Ro-Ro  and RoPax  jetties,  river cruise & passenger  ferry terrninals  on NW-1 with a total estimated  cost of

Rs,T46crore.Theprojectalsoaimsatenhancingconnectivitybetweenlocalcommunities/ Stakeholdersandtheirsma|l/microbusinesslocatedalongthebanksonNW-ltothenearest urban and market centers through NW-1 with an overall objective  of socio-economic development  of the region'

- (b)lthasbeendecidedtodevelopVadhavanPortonthecoastofMaharashtraaslndia,s largest deep draft  port on a  'Landlord  model' by an SPV incorporated  under  Companies  Act' 2013, with Jawaharlal  Nehru  port  Trust (JNpr) as lead  partner. The project proposal  for investmentisunderp'"p"'utionanddetailstudyonEngineeringandEnvironmentClearance wouldrequireSomemoretime,ThelistingoftheVadhavanPort'ifany,willbedecidedafter approval  of investment  by Government  of lndia'
- (c)to(e)TheMajorPortsAuthoritiesBill,2020introducedintheLokSabhaon12.03.2020 aims to replace the existing in"  nrrio|.  port  Trusts. Act, 1963 for  providing more operational autonomy to ports and faci[tate  deciiion making.  Under the proposed law, ma.ior  ports would Shiftfromthepresentservicemodelto.Landlordmodel,.TheCentralGovernmentapprovalon theactivitiesofthemajorportislimitedtoselectmattersofpolicy,nationalinterestandgrave emergencies.TheBoardottt.'"po,"tAuthoritywouldbecompacttofacilitatequickdecision making.ThePortAuthorityisempoweredtofixitsownScaleofRatesandPPPoperatorscan determinetheirowntariffsundernotifiedpolicies.AnAdiudicatoryBoardshalladjudicate Jlprt",  between  port and operators  as well as on complaints  of port users