TV
President Droupadi Murmu left for New Delhi after winding her two-day Odisha visit. Governor Raghubar Das and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik saw off the President at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar.
During her two-day visit, the President attended the Boita Bandana Utsav(ceremony), organised by the Paradip Port Authority, at Paradip on Kartika Purnima (Monday), apart from virtually inaugurating a Multi-Model Logistic Park. She also laid the foundation stones for a new reservoir and water treatment plant for Port Township and next-generation Vessel Traffic Management and Information System.
The President was accorded warm welcome from various quarters along the way to Paradip. She was seen shaking hands with children and distributing chocolates.
Speaking at the Boita Bandana Utsav, the President appreciated the effort of the PPA to remember the historical memories of Bali Yatra - a symbolic boat journey of merchants from ancient Kanlinga to the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali, etc., every year.
“Baliyatra is a unique festival celebrated in the memory of our glorious past. Celebrated since time immemorial, this festival is a symbol of the prosperity of the maritime trade of Odisha. It also highlights the rich cultural consciousness of the people of Odisha,” she observed.
The President further stated that the sea has been a major means of strengthening India's trade, commerce and international relations while literature based on the sea has also enriched Indian culture.
“Odisha and other coastal states had a long and prosperous tradition of naval commerce. Apart from trade and commerce, those merchants also played an important role in spreading Indian art and culture abroad,” she added.
The President also said that while maritime trade is playing an important role in the trade and economic development of the country, nearly 95 percent of India's total trade in terms of volume and 65 percent in terms of value are done through sea transport.
Underscoring the need for ports to function with greater efficiency as per the global standards, the President said that hence, there is a need to further strengthen the port infrastructure to increase their efficiency. She said that the Sagarmala project is a commendable step in this direction through which the Union Government is working to realise the vision of ‘Ports for Prosperity’ and ‘Ports for Progress’
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The President was happy over Paradip Port’s growing cargo-handling capacity. Notably, the port which is poised to become the largest port on the east coast, has bagged ‘Port of Operational Excellence Award’ at the Global Maritime India Summit – 2023.
Inaugurating the Multi-Modal Logistics Park, the President exuded confidence that the part will give a new direction to the transparent development of trade. She said that Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS) enabled new modern signal stations will make navigation through this port safer and orderly.
