Kendrapada: Stressing the need for integrated development of Paradip, chief secretary Anu Garg on Friday said the port town must grow in tandem with the proposed PCPIR, plastic park, AM/NS India facilities, proposed green hydrogen hub and supporting townships, tourism infrastructure and urban amenities.She said planned land use, strong law and order, and inclusive public infrastructure will be crucial to driving industrial expansion in the area.During her visit, Garg was accorded a guard of honour by CISF and inspected port operations along with Paradip Port Authority (PPA) chairman P L Haranadh. She said the port has shown remarkable performance, handling 150.41 million metric tonnes of cargo in FY 2024-25, making it India’s top major port with a capacity of 289 MTPA and a net surplus of Rs 1,860 crore, PPA officials said. Garg inspected berth readiness, vessel traffic management systems and marine operations.She highlighted the ‘Paradip Port 2.0′ vision aims to boost capacity beyond 500 MTPA and includes major infrastructure developments. Plans are underway for a new 150 MTPA Bahuda port in Ganjam and a 1.2 million GT shipbuilding facility in Kendrapada, to be developed through a partnership between state govt and PPA. Underscoring Odisha’s strong fiscal position and high capital expenditure, the chief secretary called for diversification beyond mining into shipbuilding, renewable energy, rare earth processing, aerospace, apparel, tourism and cruise-based development to ensure long-term sustainable growth.
