In a major boost to the development of infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil 36 infrastructure projects worth over Rs 17,000 crore of investment in Tuticorin on Wednesday.
The event is being organized jointly by the Ministries of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways; Road Transport; and Highways and Railways.
In an official announcement, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, said three types of projects will be unveiled: foundation stone laying, national projects, and inaugurations.
These projects are worth over Rs 10324 crore, Rs 1477 crore, and Rs 4586 crore, respectively, and they are related to the maritime industries, transportation, and railroads.
These projects represent a concerted effort to improve connectivity, strengthen transportation infrastructure, and bolster maritime capabilities throughout Tamil Nadu.
Sonowal said, “A few years ago, the Prime Minister announced that the government would take steps to make VoC Port the transshipment hub of the East Coast of India, and tomorrow this guarantee is going to be fulfilled. Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for the Outer Harbour Container Terminal project at VOC port, a venture valued at Rs 7056 crore.”
Another booming industry in which Tamil Nadu is making notable progress is cruise tourism, which is supported by the proactive initiatives led by the Central Government.
India aims to increase cruise passenger traffic from 0.4 million now to 4 million. The economic potential of cruise tourism is expected to go up from 110 million US dollars to 5.5 billion US dollars in the years to come, the official release said.
It also pointed out that the government has taken several initiatives to boost cruise tourism. These include infrastructure upgradation, rationalization of port fees, removing ousting charges, granting priority berthing to cruise ships, providing e-visa facilities, etc.
Ahead of the general election, the Prime Minister has unveiled several infrastructure development projects in various states.
