Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 30 (ANI): Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday unveiled various projects in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin and said that the Government is making all efforts to reduce the logistics costs which would facilitate India to achieve its well-defined goal of being a USD 5 Trillion economy by 2025.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled projects worth Rs.231.21 crore, including the Smart Port projects, India's first indigenously developed Vessel Traffic System at the cost of Rs. 2.29 Crore.

"The development of the indigenous system would eliminate the need of relying on proprietary and costly foreign-made software solutions," he said.

He also inaugurated the Optic Fibre connectivity and laid the foundation stone for the Tuticorin SPEEDZ (Coastal Employment Unit) land for the development of Port-based Industries, spanning 1300 acres.

The Minister also inaugurated an array of Green Port projects like 100 per cent conversion into LED Lights, Induction of e-Cars, 140 KW Solar Roof Top Solar Power Plant and laid the foundation stone for 2 MW Wind Farm, 400 KW Solar Roof Top Solar Power Plant, Public EV Charging Stations.

On the Welfare front, the Minister inaugurated the Medical oxygen Generator plant and laid the foundation stone for Integrative Medicine and AYUSH Unit and V. O. Chidambaranar Maritime Heritage Museum.

Addressing the gathering Sonowal said that the Government was taking all efforts to reduce the logistics costs which would facilitate India to achieve its well-defined goal of being a $5 Trillion economy by 2025.

"The inclusive Green Port initiatives taken by the VO Chidambaranar Port will set standards across all Major Ports to increase the share of renewable energy to more than 60 per cent by 2030. The Government would take all efforts to transform VOC Port as the Transhipment hub of East coast of India by developing the Outer Harbour Project, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

The Minister reviewed the performance of the Port and its future expansion programmes. Chairman TK Ramachandran apprised the various ongoing and future capacity augmentation initiatives of the port and other proposals for enhancing the productivity of the Port.

Sonowal inspected the Port facilities and took stock of the infrastructure and upcoming projects and also interacted with various stakeholders of the port and shipping fraternity. (ANI)