| Key ports report dip in cargo handling (click title to entry - thank you) |
| Press Trust of India / New Delhi Mar 04, 2012, 11:07 IST |
India's 12 major ports have reported a dip in cargo handling in the April-January period mainly due to 25% decline in iron ore exports.
"Cargo traffic at Centre-owned ports recorded a drop of 0.2% in April-January 2012 to 467.1 million tonnes (MT) over the ten-month period last fiscal. These ports have suffered huge losses of business due to curb on ore exports," a top Shipping Ministry official told PTI....
There is also the issue of offshore oil drilling and having adequate shipping lanes for these larger ships. So, from this election season there is a lot of rhetoric going on, but, when the facts are revealed there is too much inconsistency to actually believe the politicians know what they are saying, yet alone what they are doing.
The USA has to justify these expenses and put them into perspective in relation to actual growth in relation to GDP and the National Debt. These are expensive projects and deepening the ports doesn't last forever. These are not one time expenditures. Port dredging has to be repeated after a period of time if not consistently depending on the sediment the river carries. I certainly hope these deep water port projects are simply pork barrel, knee jerk reactions to a third Panama Canal shipping lane. I would hope all this has been justified from the perspective it will pay for itself in GDP and quality of life for Americans.
Knowing how rarely these projects are discussed in the media, it is easy for every mayor and governor to promise all kinds of capital improvements, when in fact they aren't justified in reality from actually paying off to the American taxpayer.
