Kochi:
The Kerala government proposes to develop an integrated multimodal transport system linking roads, railways and sea ports for the movement of cargo and passengers, Ports and Fisheries Minister, K Babu, said on Thursday.
"The state government has been taking concerted measures to utilise coastal shipping, which is environment friendly," he said in his inaugural address at the Maritime Education and Training summit in Kochi.
As a first step, government wants to set up commercially viable Inland water transport system to ease congestion on roads, he said, adding the plan was to move 20 per cent of road cargo through waterways by 2020. The port facilities are being revamped by setting up new port terminals and adding coastal infrastructure.
The state is actively pursuing with the Centre setting up of the state Maritime board, he said, adding efforts are on to explore the tourism potential in the shipping sector.
K Mohandas, Former Shipping Secretary, said India's contribution to global manpower in the sector is only 6-7 per cent. The shipping ministry proposed to increase it to nine per cent by 2015, but there is a need to look at over 17 per cent, he said.
Stressing the need for quality education in Maritime sector, he said there is need to look at best practises in India and abroad and create a manpower which the world cannot refuse.
He also pointed to the need to be cautious about the 'very high' bogus educational institutions in the sector.
There could be fly by night operators among the recruitment agencies which was a matter of concern, he said while calling for setting up of a regulatory authority for maritime education and training.
The aim of the summit is to showcase the importance of quality education and appropriate training to bring efficiency in shipping, port related and allied maritime sector.
It is also to focus on ways to bridge the disconnection between maritime curriculum and industry needs and bring in greater academia and industry collaboration.