New Delhi, Jul 13, (IANS): The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways will convene the State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees’ meeting on Tuesday to hold discussions for the comprehensive development of maritime and waterways transport across India and expanding its reach to include the remaining states.

The meeting to be held via video conferencing will be chaired by T. K. Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

“The meeting will focus on the preparation of state-specific Maritime and Waterways Transport Master Plans, formulation of Maritime Sector Policies, Green Initiatives, Waterways Development, Cruise Tourism, Urban Water Transportation, and the Development of Lighthouses,” the statement added.

Recognising the need for a unified approach to manage and integrate the waterways transportation sector, the Ministry has established State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees (SMWTCs) to coordinate various initiatives and schemes within each state.

These committees will be pivotal in consolidating efforts and providing focused leadership in the maritime and waterways sector. Each state committee is headed by the Chief Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary and includes representatives from major ports, maritime boards, state PWD, Inland Waterways, Department of Tourism, Department of Fisheries, Railways, NHAI and Customs.

Currently, SMWTCs have been constituted in 13 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Lakshadweep, with plans to establish them in all 30 coastal and waterways states and UTs of India.

The agenda for the meeting includes reviewing the progress made by already constituted SMWTCs, discussing the issues faced by different states along with discussion on implementation of Sagarmala Programme, development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, opportunities in Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax/Ferry/Urban Water Transportation, Sagarmala Shipbuilding Clusters, Harit Nauka (Green Transition) Scheme for Inland Waterways, Cargo Promotion Scheme, MoUs with States for Coastal and River Cruise Tourism and support for State Inland Waterway Transport.

Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries, as Chairpersons of SMWTCs, will present progress in their states, SMWTC initiatives, state-specific issues, and required support from the Ministry, aiming to review progress, address issues, and foster collaborative solutions to enhance maritime and waterways transport in India.