Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that the Centre will be setting up a Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal. He was in the city to inaugurate the three-day International Conference on maritime management organised by the Department of Maritime Management, BK School of Professional and Management studies. Lothal is a very popular tourist destination and an important archaeological site in Gujarat. The heritage complex in Lothal, a port city which was part of the Harappan Civilisation, will give visitors a glimpse into the maritime heritage of the state and the country. "The complex is a dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The maritime industry is over 3000 years old. Lothal was a developed city and has a rich maritime history. The complex is to be built at a cost of Rs 500 crore and will give visitors information about the maritime achievements of the country and the state," Mandaviya said. Speaking about the importance of the sector, Mandaviya said that it can make an immense contribution to making the country a developed one. "Even a small country like the Philippines has become an expert in buildings tugs. India too can capitalise on its natural advantages and be a leader in dredging and barge building," he said. A barge is a flatboat that is used to transport goods mainly through rivers and canals. The minister also said that a Maritime Park will be established at GIFT city in Gandhinagar, the state's capital to promote the sector. Elaborating on the Centre's plan to make India a leader in dredging and barge building, he said that a Centre of Excellence has been set up at Indian Institute of Technology Madras for further research in the area. The conference titled "Ports and allied sectors in the state vis-a-vis India and the world: emerging opportunities and challenges" saw the minister informing the students that they had chosen a field that had immense potential. Later talking to the media, the minister said that the Centre planned to create 5 lakh new jobs in the shipping sector in the next five years. To promote employment opportunities, he also outlined the thrust given to cruise tourism through the setting up of terminals at several places in the country.

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.