Modi inaugurates Varanasi Port, receives India's first inland cargo vessel

Varanasi, Nov 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the first multi-modal terminal built on the river Ganga in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency. Modi, along with Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, also received India's first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on the newly-developed inland waterway carrying cargo belonging to food and beverages giant PepsiCo India. The cargo had sailed from West Bengal on October 30. Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the event. The inland port at Varanasi is the first of a string of inland waterways and terminals that the central government aims to develop. National Waterway-1 (Haldia-Varanasi) is being developed with technical assistance and investment support from the World Bank, officials informed. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,369.18 crore, which will be equally shared between the Centre and the World Bank. The Prime Minister is scheduled to unveil several other projects in his parliamentary constituency later in the day.
--IANS md/shs/vm