Panaji (Goa)

Congress party today demanded written assurance from Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari that the Ministry will not allow coal handling expansion project proposed at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).

South west port limited has proposed doubling of coal handling facility at berth number 5A and 6A of the MPT.

Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Adv Yatish Naik said that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statements or assurances against coal handling expansion are completely meaningless especially given his legacy of U-turns in the past.

“Chief Minister speaking anything on the coal expansion issue is no guarantee,” he commented.

“Hence, it is absolutely essential that Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari and MPT give in writing and declare that they will respect the sentiments of Goemkars against coal handling expansion at MPT,” Naik demanded.

Under the Sagarmala master plan for Mormugao Port, the optimistic scenario projections of cooking coal stand at 21 million metric tons by the year 2025 and 40 million metric tons by 2035, he said.