New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday announced that a contract has been awarded for the Haldia inland waterway terminal, and the jetty services will be soon operational for sending Exim and inland cargo to the Pandu terminal in Assam's Guwahati connecting the northeast with Kolkata through National waterway-2.

This will provide an alternative chicken neck route for easy and cost-effective movement of cargo to and from the northeast to the foreign countries and other states of India.

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The Minister interacted with various stakeholders of the port and shipping industry of Kolkata and Haldia port. Major oil PSUs, steel companies like Tata Steel and SAIL, terminal operators, shipping lines, barge operators, custom clearing agents and land users of Syama prasad Mookerjee Port participated in the meeting.

Sonowal invited all of them to be a partner in this unique opportunity of using sea and river route combination (NW1 and NW2) via Kolkata port.

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He also informed that the depth assurance contract has been awarded to maintain NW1 and NW2, and the barge operators shall soon start using these waterways as depths are assured.

The minister also said that there is a proposal to provide a guarantee to banks to give easy and soft funds for barges so that this sector can take off.

The stakeholders assured that they will come forward to utilise this opportunity to make this mission a success. More than 40 key players participated in the stakeholders' conference. (ANI)

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