Parliament Question: Capital Dredging Projects for Diu Port

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3224 ANSWERED ON 07.08.2026 CAPITAL DREDGING PROJECTS FOR DIU PORT

3224. SHRI PATEL UMESHBHAI BABUBHAI:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: प(cid:517)न, पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी

(a) whether the Government is aware that the Capital Dredging Projects for Diu Port and Vanakbara Creek in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu under the Sagarmala Programme have not commenced due to non- granting of financial approval/ release of funds despite getting the technical approval and completion of the necessary administrative and tender processes;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether administrative and financial responsibility will be fixed for delay in according financial approval which leads to increase in project cost or have to adopt re-tendering, re-evaluation or other administrative procedure resulting in additional loss of time and public funds as well as inconvenience to the local people, if so, the details thereof including the officers/department against whom the responsibility will be fixed;

(d) whether the Government proposes to formulate any time-bound action plan for granting early financial approval and releasing funds for the said two projects; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) to (e): Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) conveyed in- principle approval in October, 2018 for the projects ‘Dredging at Vanakbara Port of UT of Daman and Diu’ and ‘Dredging at Diu Port of UT of Daman and Diu’ at estimated cost of ₹ 46.44 crore and ₹ 45.90 crore with financial assistance of ₹ 23.22 crore and₹ 22.95 crore under Sagarmala scheme respectively. However, the projects could not be executed by the Union Territory (UT) Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH&DD), the executing agency, for more than five years.

Therefore, in order to maintain fiscal discipline under Sagarmala scheme, the projects were de-sanctioned by the MoPSW on 04.06.2024.

Subsequently, UT Administration of DNH&DD approached MoPSW in November, 2024 for administrative approval and expenditure sanction of the projects at revised estimated cost of ₹ 80.29 crore and ₹ 81.34 crore respectively. However, on account of fiscal constraint in the current Sagarmala scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle, the projects could not be accommodated.

The sanction of financial assistance by MoPSW for these two projects is contingent upon the approval of Sagarmala 2.0 scheme. Separately, the UT Administration can always execute these projects out of its own budget to avoid any delay.

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