Lok Sabha Question No. 4616 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Inland Logistic Parity
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4616

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026

## INLAND LOGISTIC PARITY

4616. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL:

## Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

(a)  the  steps  taken  under  the  Sagarmala  Programme  to  rationalize  hinterland evacuation  costs  and  ensure  logistics  parity  for  Export-import  (EXIM)  cargo  for Chhattisgarh; (b)  whether  the  Government  is  implementing  mechanisms  to  address  the  high logistical burden of empty container repositioning faced by inland industries, if so, the details thereof; (c)  the  inter -ministerial  initiatives  under  PM  Gati-Shakti  to  seamlessly  integrate regional  Inland  Container  Depots  (ICDs),  such  as  the  facility  in  Naya  Raipur,  with major coastal hubs; (d)  the  status  of  linking  the  said  inland  multi -modal  logistics  parks  with  maritime digital  portals  like  SAGAR -SETU  to  streamline  regulatory  clearances  and  reduce transit delays; and (e) the steps taken to improve the ocean connectivity of the Chhattisgarh State on

- the lines of Jalore -Arabian Sea Link?

## ANSWER

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

(a) To rationalize hinterland evacuation, reduce logistics costs, and ensure parity EXIM cargo under the Sagarmala Programme,a MultiModal Logistics Park (MMLP) has been developed in Naya Raipur as a strategic Inland Container Depot (ICD)in an area  of  113  acres.  A  second  railline  of  203  kmbetween  Raipur  and  Titlagarh  has been laid in 2023 to  ease congestion  on the rail  link  to  Paradip  Port.    Both these projects  have  contributed  in  logistic  parity  to  steel  and  agro  based  industries  in Chhattisgarh and strengthened faster evacuation of cargo.

(b) The  Government  in  Budget  Speech  2026-27  has  announced  a  scheme  for container  manufacturing  in  India  with  a  budget  outlay  of  Rs.  10,000  crores.  The scheme aims to develop a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem in the country by providing financial incentives for the establishment and expansion of  container  manufacturing  units  in  order  to  mitigate  the  issue  ofnon-availability  of empty containers.

(c)to (d)Under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP), the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) at  Naya Raipurhas been linked through both Railway and Roadways to major eastern ports like Vishakhapatnam, Paradip and Syama Prasad Mookerjee Ports  and  the  alignment  of  same  has  been  plotted  in  NMP  of  PM  GatiShakti. SAGAR-SETU,  the  digital  portal  launched  by  the  Ministry  of  Ports,  Shipping  and Waterways captures the data relating to cargo handling ports and vessels for faster regulatory clearances and reducing the transit delays.

(e)The existing rail and road connectivity of Chhattisgarh with the major ports at the eastern coast is adequately meeting its requirement towards evacuation of cargo in the Chhattisgarh region.

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