Students to get access to ports?

Chennai:

Students are likely to get access to ports in the city as

Union Shipping Ministry is mulling on a decision to allow them entry.

Interacting with reporters here on Monday, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan said that security issues are involved and discussions are on with top officials in this regard.

“A right decision will be taken at appropriate time,” the minister said. Interestingly, this comes at a time when Vasan reopened the lighthouse in Marina here for visitor on last Thursday. More than 10,000 people have visited the lighthouse in the last four days.

The minister earlier launched various projects worth Rs 2.20 crore under Corporate Social Responsibility of Ennore Port Limited.

Later addressing a gathering he said the Shipping Ministry would examine the idea of evaluating ports on the basis of economic performance, social equity and environmental responsibility by incorporating these aspects in targets from next year.

“We need to look into gradually introducing the concept of ‘triple bottom line reporting’ or TBLwhere ports set goals and publish reports in terms of profits, environment-friendly initiatives and CSR activities,” the minister said.

He also announced that Ennore Port plans to take up CSR projects in the forthcoming financial year (2014-15) for capacity building, skill development, infrastructural development for an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore and for water and waste management, energy management and promotion of renewal energy, biodiversity conservations and protection, conservation and reservation of eco-system under the head of environment sustainability at a total of Rs 1.5 crore.

He also said that Ennore Port’s capacity will be more than doubled from the present 30MTPA to about 67 MTPA by the end of 12^th plan due its expansion works.

Talking about his visit to japan alongwith a Shipping Ministry delegation, Vasan said that Shipping Ministry is trying to seek Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funding for the Outer Harbour project of VOC Port in Tuticorin.

He said that he had impressed upon the Japan authorities of VOC port eremrging as a hub for shipping fraternity in the future.

He also said that he visited Port of Yokohama and Port of Nagoya to see the port operations and the latest technologies being utilized in these two Ports. He also said that he had sought more Exim trade for Chennai and Ennore ports from Japan.