Bhubaneswar: Further strengthening Odisha’s port-led development initiatives, the State government has given in-principle approval for the proposed Satellite Major Port project at Bahuda estuary in Ganjam district.

The project has been approved for development over approximately 5,005.195 acres of saline land in the Bahuda estuary area.

In a letter, NBS Rajput, Principal Secretary of the Odisha Commerce and Transport Department has conveyed the government’s decision to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Chairman of the Paradip Port Authority and the Managing Director of Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited.

As per the letter, the state government has granted in-principle approval for the development of the proposed Satellite Major Port at Bahuda estuary. Approval has also been given for the initiation of the process to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) involving the Paradip Port Authority, Odisha government and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited for the project.

The proposal for a major port at Bahuda estuary has been under discussion for several years. The latest in-principle approval is expected to facilitate the next stages of the project, including institutional arrangements for its development.