Bhubaneswar, Sep 16 : Commerce & Transport Department of Odisha government on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gopalpur Port Private Limited for further development and expansion of the port.

Director, Ports & Inland Waterway Transport, Padmalochan Roul and Gopalpur Port Private Limited CEO Janardan Rao signed the MoU in the presence of Odisha Commerce & Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu.

Gopalpur Port was operated by the Odisha government as a seasonal lighterage Port from 1986-87. The Port was awarded to Gopalpur Ports Private Limited for transforming it to an all-weather direct berthing port on PPP mode.

The Concession Agreement between the Government of Odisha and Gopalpur Ports Private Limited was signed on September 14, 2006.

At present, the Port has three berths built over a length of 800m to accommodate multiple vessels with an annual cargo handling capacity of 20 MMT.

The port has generated direct and indirect employment opportunities for 8000 persons and facilitated industrial as well as economic growth of the State in general and Southern Odisha in particular.

In the first phase, 393.670 acres of land was handed over to Gopalpur Port Private Limited. Land measuring 119.716 acres was handed over on Saturday for further development and expansion of the port.