Visakhapatnam, Apr 3 (IANS): Having achieved it's target of handling 69.84 metric tons (MT) in financial year 2020-21, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) is aiming to handle 80 million MT of cargo in the current fiscal.

Addressing a media conference here on Saturday, Chairman K Rammohan Rao said that the VPT maintained 3rd position among major ports for the second year in succession.

The year past also saw an increase of handling iron pellets and finished steel exports from the port to China.

Disclosing future diversification plans, Rao said that Vizag port would soon have a cruise terminal with an outlay of Rs 103 crore, aimed at boosting tourism revenues. The project had hit a roadblock in 2020, following the Covid pandemic and lockdown.

Also on the anvil are the acquisition of a mobile harbour crane and commissioning of two railway projects. In addition, port berths are being developed at a cost of Rs 20 crore. Similarly, an automated signalling system is also being introduced at the port, he said.