MARGAO: Panjim is set to be one of the 35 Multi-Modal Logistics Park in the country, according to a reply by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in the Lok Sabha. According to MoRTH, these logistics parks will enable optimum and efficient vehicular movement in the country and thus lead to reduction in vehicular pollution and congestion, and enable the reduction in warehousing cost.
Panjim was earlier identified as a key port along with Mormugao port that is set to be developed under the ambitious Sagarmala Project. Interestingly, the government had also earlier identified a potential railway hub along the railway track near Agassaim Village in the Regional Plan 2021. The 2014 Investment Promotion Policy suggests logistics as one of the major thrust areas. The proposal for an integrated multi-modal logistic hub thus comes as no surprise. However, the exact location of the site is a mystery. Sources in the PWD say that they are unaware of the proposal but state that the most likely site for the park is at Ribandar or Kadamba plateau. Interestingly, an officer also admitted that the proposal is likely to receive a stiff objection from locals.
The proposal for the logistic park was approved in October 2017. The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) had in-principally approved the development of 35 Multi-Modal Logistics Parks as a part of the National Corridor Efficiency Enhancement Component (NCEEP) of Bharatmala Pariyojana to improve the efficiency of the road freight movement in the country.
According to MoRTH, the development of Multi-Modal Logistics Parks in the country will act as freight aggregation and disaggregation centers and will enable a hub-and-spoke model of freight movement, in contrast to the point-to-point freight movement currently prevalent in India. Further, these Multi-Modal Logistics Parks will enable the use of larger trucks/ rail movement between hubs which have lower per-ton-per-km cost compared to smaller trucks.
According to MoRTH, the development of Multi-Modal Logistics Park is expected to improve the logistics efficiency of the country, enabling a reduction in logistics costs. “These Multi-Modal Logistics Parks are expected to reduce transportation costs, warehousing costs, congestion and pollution to a significant extent by providing the following key functionalities which will be instrumental in facilitating synchronized, efficient and seamless freight movement in the country giving a boost to industry and employment generation”, MoRTH stated in the reply.
