PRESIDENT MURMU : The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu was present at the Boita Bandana ceremony that is being
organized by the Paradip Port Authority today (November 27, 2023). Apart from this, she also virtually
inaugurated a Multi Model Logistic Park. President Murmu also laid the foundation stones for a new
reservoir and water treatment plant for the Port township and an advanced Vessel Traffic Management
and Information System.
She was happy to note that Paradip Port’s cargo handling capacity has doubled in the last decade. It is
now poised to become the largest port on the east coast having been bestowed with the ‘Port of
Operational Excellence Award’ at the Global Maritime India Summit – 2023.
President Murmu was confident that today’s inaugurated Multi-Modal Logistics Park will give a new
direction to the transparent development of trade. She stated that Vessel Traffic Management and
Information System (VTMIS) are set to enable new modern signal stations to make navigation through
this port safer and more orderly.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the occasion was apt to recollect the historical
memories of Baliyatra – boat trip of merchants of yesteryears to the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali, and
other islands in the region. Baliyatra is a unique festival that celebrates this glorious past. This festival is
a glowing testament of the advancement and prosperity of maritime trade of Odisha many years before
modern navigation systems were established. It highlights the rich cultural consciousness of the people
of Odisha.
Bengali