Guwahati, Oct 7 (PTI): Assam Inland Waterways Company Ltd (AIWCL), a state government enterprise, has signed an agreement with a private firm to establish a shipyard on the outskirts of Guwahati, an official statement said on Wednesday.
As per the agreement signed here on Tuesday, a special purpose vehicle — Assam Shipyard Pvt Ltd (ASPL) — will be formed to establish the shipyard at Dharapur, and it will design, manufacture, assemble and commission ships, barges and vessel structures, besides terminals, boats and jetties.
ASPL will work towards establishing and maintaining the shipyard, including dry docking, marine works, slipways and floating docks, along with ship repair, overhauling, servicing and maintenance.
Speaking on the occasion, AIWCL managing director Saranga Pani Sarma said, “This joint venture of AIWCL and Bharat A to Z (BAZ) Pvt Ltd will provide a boost to the inland water transport sector, especially in cargo and tourism, and connect national waterways 2 and 16 to open new business opportunities.”
He said Assam has already marked a new beginning in cargo transportation with the sending of the first international consignment to Bangladesh from Dibrugarh after 70 years.
“With an initial investment of Rs 75 crore, the shipyard will form an important part of the broader Rs 475 crore overall investment proposed by BAZ. This partnership will encourage more private sector participation and help in reinforcing the state’s vision of emerging as a major hub for inland water transport and shipbuilding in the Northeast,” Sarma said.
BAZ director Sohel Kazani said ASPL plans to build 40 barges over the next five years, and the project is expected to generate around 900 jobs.
He said construction of container vessels, easing Assam’s transport challenges and reducing the cost of moving goods between Kolkata and the Northeast were some of the key priority areas for ASPL.
“Another area of focus is ship recycling, wherein the shipyard will support owners of old vessels towards new shipbuilding, in line with the government’s provision of around 40 per cent credit on the value of old ships,” Kazani said.
“Beyond these, ASPL plans to develop specially designed boats for security, passenger and tourism use, along with innovative concepts such as concrete floating jetties and concrete landing craft to support short-sea and island movements,” the BAZ director added.
He further said the shipyard is envisioned as an AI-enabled facility where skill, rather than manual labour, will drive productivity.
“While a small number of specialists will initially come from outside Assam, they will train local people and eventually hand over operations,” he added.
