TS to submit proposal on setting up dry port to Centre.

The Government of Telangana will soon send a detailed project proposal to the Centre on setting up a dry port in the State, Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao, has stated. The State is also pursuing inclusion of Godavari river in the inland waterways project taken up by the Centre, he said.

A meeting would be convened soon with all the departments concerned for preparing a detailed proposal, the Minister said addressing a press conference after a review meeting held with the officials soon.

Union Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari had assured that Godavari would be included in the inland waterways project during the next session of Parliament, he noted.

According to official sources, the plan of setting up about a dozen dry ports in the land locked States is mooted by the Government of India to make Indian exports more competitive.

Exporters would be facilitated to conduct all their customs and export paperwork at the inland dry ports, from where their consignments would be forwarded and loaded onto ships in the nearest sea ports.

There is a possibility of linking a dry port in Telangana, likely to be proposed between Khammam and Nalgonda districts, from where goods could be sent to the ports at Kakinada or Visakhapatnam through an inland waterway.

On the plans to develop new airports at Warangal and Kothagudem, the Minister said he would meet Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashoka Gajapathi Raju soon with necessary proposals.


THE HINDU