Lok Sabha Question No. 202 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Development of Ports
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *202

ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026

## DEVELOPMENT OF PORTS

*202. SHRI NAVASKANI K:

## Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

(a)  whether  the  Union  Government  is  aware  that  minor  ports  in  Ramanathapuram district, specifically in Pamban and Rameswaram, remain severely underdeveloped despite  possessing  immense  potential  for  coastal  shipping  and  marine  product exports, if so, the details thereof and the reasons for non upgradation of these ports; (b)  whether the  Union  Government proposes to provide assistance under centrally sponsored  scheme  being  implemented  to  upgrade  these  ports  to  make  them  of modern standards and economically viable and if so, the details thereof; (c)  whether  the  Union  Government  is  collaborating  with  the  State  Government  to prepare any specific, time-bound action plan, if any, to upgrade cargo handling and fishing facilities to tap potential trade with Sri Lanka; and (d) whether the Government has acknowledged that the lack of infrastructure, such as proper dredging and storage, is  causing substantial loss  to  the  fishing  industry and hindering regional development, if so, details thereof and the action proposed to be taken by the Union Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a) to (d)     A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  *202  FOR  ANSWER  ON  13.02.2026  RAISED  BY SHRI NAVASKANI K, REGARDING 'DEVELOPMENT OF PORTS'

(a) to (d)    The Ports other than Major Ports (OTMP), also known as non-major or minor ports, are under the administrative control of the respective State Governments  and  development  of  these  ports  falls  within  their  jurisdiction.  To support  and  supplement  port-led  development,  the  Government  of  India  provides financial assistance under the central sector Sagarmala scheme for projects aligned with  its  five  pillars:  port  modernization,  port  connectivity,  port-led  industrialization, coastal  community  development,  and  coastal  shipping  and  inland  water  transport. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has sanctioned following 4 projects for funding under Sagarmala scheme in Ramanathapuram district:

- i. Fishing harbour at Mookaiyur - project cost of ₹113.90 crore
- ii. Fish landing centre at Kunthukal - project cost of ₹ 74.00 crore
- iii. Berthing facilities for tourist vessels at Agni Theertham - project cost of ₹ 7.6 crore
- iv. Berthing facilities for tourist vessels at VilloondiTheertham - project cost of ₹ 3.7 crore

The  proposals  received  from  the  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu  in  respect  of dredging at Pamban  minor port and construction of passenger terminal at Rameshwaram  minor  port  could  not  be  sanctioned  for  funding  under  Sagarmala scheme due to lack of necessary statutory clearances.

The  MoPSW  holds  meetings  of  Maritime States  Development  Council (MSDC) and National Sagarmala Apex Committee (NSAC) involving the central line ministries and maritime States/UTs for close coordination with States/ UTs Governments for development of marine infrastructure.

The Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is also implementing Pradhan MantriMatsyaSampadaYojana  (PMMSY)  aimed  at  modernizing  and  strengthening the  fisheries  value  chain.  Under  the  PMMSY,  financial  assistance  is  provided  by Govt. of India for creation and upgradation of fishing harbours, fish landing centres, dredging,  cold  chain  and  storage  infrastructure,  processing  facilities  and  market linkages.  In  addition,  the   DoF,  under  the  Fisheries  &  Aquaculture  Infrastructure Development  Fund  (FIDF),  provides  concessional  finance  to  the  eligible  entities including State Governments/UTs  for the development of identified fisheries infrastructure.  Such  fisheries  infrastructure  projects  are  taken  up  on  cost  sharing basis with funding pattern as  60:40 between Centre and State. The DoF under the Blue Revolution Scheme, the FIDF and the PMMSY has approved 11 fishing harbour projects and 26 fish landing centre projects at a total cost of ₹1,658.97 crore in Tamil Nadu. The details are available at Annexure-1.

## Annexure-1

1. Details of Fishing Harbour (FH) and Fish Landing Centre (FLC) projects approved under PMMSY in Tamil Nadu:
2. Details of Fishing Harbour (FH) and Fish Landing Centre (FLC) projects approved under Blue Revolution in Tamil Nadu:
3. Details of Fishing Harbour projects approved under FIDF in Tamil Nadu:

| Sl. No.   | Name of the project                              |   Project cost (in ₹ crore) |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1.        | Modernization of Chennai Fishing Harbour         |                       97.95 |
| 2.        | Up-gradation of Pazhayar Fishing Harbour         |                       26.26 |
| 3.        | Maintenance Dredging of Colachel Fishing Harbour |                        4.94 |
| 4.        | Development of Nettukuppam Fish Landing Centre   |                       15.7  |
| 5.        | Development of Thazankuppam Fish Landing Centre  |                        3.92 |
| 6.        | Development of Arangankuppam Fish Landing Centre |                        3.4  |
| 7.        | Development of Goonankuppam Fish Landing Centre  |                        3.4  |
|           | TOTAL                                            |                      155.57 |

| Sl. No.Name of the projectProject cost (in ₹ crore)   | Sl. No.Name of the projectProject cost (in ₹ crore)   |   Sl. No.Name of the projectProject cost (in ₹ crore) |
|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.                                                    | Mookaiyur FH                                          |                                                 113.9 |
| 2.                                                    | Kunthukal FLC                                         |                                                  74   |
|                                                       | TOTAL                                                 |                                                 187.9 |

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Project                                                      |   Project Cost (in ₹ crore) |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|         1 | Tharangampadi in Nagapattinam                                            |                         120 |
|         2 | ThiruvottriyurKuppam in Tiruvallur District                              |                         200 |
|         3 | Development of existing Fishing Harbour at Mudhunagar in Cuddalore       |                         100 |
|         4 | Development of Fishing Harbour at Arcottuthurai in Nagapattinam District |                         150 |
|         5 | Azhagankuppam in Villupuram District                                     |                         235 |

| 6.   | Development of Fishing Harbour at Vellapallam in Nagapattinam District                | 100.00   |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| 7.   | Expansion and Modernization of Thengapattinam Fishing Harbour in Kanyakumari District | 253.00   |
|      |                                                                                       | 1158.00  |
|      | TOTAL                                                                                 |          |

## 4. Details of the Fish Landing Centres approved under FIDF in Tamil Nadu

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Project                                                                                                |   Project Cost (In ₹ crore) |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|         1 | Extension of T-Jetty at Tharuvaikulam in Thoothukudi District                                                      |                       10    |
|         2 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Mandapam (North) in Ramanathapuram District.                                |                       10    |
|         3 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Mandapam (South) at in Ramanathapuram District.                             |                       10    |
|         4 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Kottaipattinam, Pudukottai                                                  |                        3.05 |
|         5 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Vadakkamapattinam, Pudukottai                                               |                        1.55 |
|         6 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Puthukudi                                                                   |                        1.4  |
|         7 | Providing additional facilities to Fish Landing Centre at Portonovo-Annankovil at Cuddalore District               |                       10    |
|         8 | Providing additional Infrastructure facilities to Fish Landing Centre at Mudasalodai Village at Cuddalore District |                        9.5  |
|         9 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Chandrapadi Village in Nagapattinum District.                               |                       10    |
|        10 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Vanagiri Village in Nagapattinum District.                                  |                        8    |
|        11 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre Keezhathottam in Thanjavur                                                     |                        8    |
|        12 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Kellamundhal in Ramanathapuram District                                     |                       10    |
|        13 | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Aruvikarai Village in Tirunelveli District                                  |                       10    |
|        14 | Establishment of fish landing centre at Sothikuppam and Rasapettai village in Cuddalore District                   |                        8.5  |
|        15 | Establishment of Fish Landing Centre at Mudhaliyarkuppam and Chettynagar Villages in Villupuram District           |                        7    |

| 16.   | Establishment of Fish landing centre at Chithiraipettai and Nanjalingampettai villages in Cuddalore District   |   7.50 |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
| 17.   | Establishment of Fish Landing Centre at Pudhukuppam and Anichankuppam Villages in Villupuram District          |    7   |
| 18.   | Establishment of fish landing centre at Tsunami Nagar and Akkaraigori village in Cuddalore District            |    4.5 |
| 19.   | Establishment of fish landing centre at Sonankuppam village in Cuddalore District                              |    5.5 |
| 20.   | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Sattankuppam in Thiruvallur District.                                   |    8   |
| 21.   | Construction of Fish Landing Centre at Sunnambukulam in Thiruvallur District.                                  |    8   |
| TOTAL | TOTAL                                                                                                          |  157.5 |

*****