According to the Gujarat state Finance Minister, Kanu Desai, the Gujarat government has proposed 47 additional projects totalling Rs 3,200 crore under the Sagarmala scheme. Projects for rail-road connectivity, a fish processing centre, a fish landing centre, tourism, and seaplane projects are among the new suggestions. In the state, the Sagarmala programme has 75 projects costing Rs 57,000 crore. Thirteen projects totalling Rs 8,900 crore have been completed, 32 projects totalling more than Rs 25,000 crore are in the works, and 30 projects totalling Rs 23,000 crore are in the planning stages. These projects are being implemented by central line ministries, major ports, state maritime board and other state agencies. Among the projects under implementation is the country’s first Maritime Museum, being developed at Lothal, with a budget allocation of Rs 3,150 crore. During the meeting, Desai pointed out that Gujarat handles close to 40 per cent of India’s cargo and has contributed around 18 per cent of total cargo transported using coastal shipping.
