Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special attachment to Southern India, that is why after becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Modi, along with the Sagarmala Project has started various schemes for the upgradation of major ports for the development of coastal States.
Presiding over the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, he said that out of these, 108 projects worth Rs. 76,000 crore have been completed while 98 projects worth Rs. 1,32,000 crore are under implementation. Thus in total projects worth more than Rs. 2,00,000 crore are being implemented under Sagarmala for coastal States, he added.
He said 61 projects are under implementation at a tune of Rs. 7,737 crore for the overall development of coastal districts. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana is being run for the Blue Revolution.
Since 2015, Rs. 4,206 crore has been sanctioned for the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme in the Southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh 56 projects have been approved for the development of basic infrastructure of ports and fisheries in the States at a cost of Rs. 2,711 crore, he added.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, the Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Administrator of Lakshadweep, Chief Secretaries of Southern Zonal Council States, Union Home Secretary, Secretary Inter-State Council Secretariat and other Senior officials of State and Central Ministries and Departments.
In the meeting, 26 issues were discussed, 9 issues were resolved, 17 issues were reserved for further consideration, out of which 9 issues were related to the reorganization of Andhra Pradesh. Shah urged Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to settle their pending issues, which will not only benefit the people of their States but will also lead to all-round development of the entire Southern region.
He called upon all the member States of the Council to find a joint solution to the issues related to sharing of water. Shah said that in the 12th meeting of its Standing Committee, a total of 89 issues were discussed and out of this 63 issues were settled by mutual agreement which is a significant achievement.
