THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

PARADIP, AUGUST 10, 2026

Paradip Port Authority (PPA) Chairman P L Haranadh on Monday announced an ambitious expansion of Odisha’s maritime infrastructure, including a 150-million-tonne satellite port at Bahuda in Ganjam district, a shipbuilding and repair cluster in Kendrapara and a modern cruise terminal in Puri, as PIB Additional Director General Akhil Kumar Mishra stressed the need for empathetic and coordinated communication to take the benefits of government initiatives to the people.

Addressing a meeting of the Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC), Odisha region, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Haranadh said Paradip was rapidly emerging as one of India’s premier industrial and maritime hubs and had achieved the milestone of becoming the country’s leading major port in cargo handling capacity.

Elaborating on the proposed Bahuda satellite port, he said the project would feature a 150-million-tonne capacity container terminal and cater to the hinterlands of Odisha, northern Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while strengthening the region’s integration with international trade corridors.

Haranadh said the proposed shipbuilding and repair cluster in Kendrapara district would provide a major impetus to employment generation and development of a skilled workforce, adding a new dimension to Odisha’s growing maritime economy.

He also highlighted plans for a modern cruise terminal in Puri, which, he said, would strengthen coastal tourism and international connectivity by integrating the globally renowned pilgrimage destination into a wider maritime tourism circuit encompassing Konark and Chilika.

Emphasising the importance of coordinated communication, Haranadh said institutional platforms such as the IMPCC were vital for ensuring that major developmental initiatives reached citizens effectively and contributed to informed public discourse.

Presiding over the deliberations, Mishra, who is also Additional Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) and Chairman of IMPCC Odisha, said public communication must be rooted in empathy, warmth and a genuine understanding of citizens’ expectations.

He said outreach efforts could lose their effectiveness if they failed to establish an emotional and intuitive connect with people. Breaking information silos among Central Government departments, central public sector undertakings and media units was essential for presenting a cohesive narrative of the country’s development, Mishra said.

Mishra also appreciated the Paradip Port Authority leadership for hosting the conference and providing a platform for greater coordination and multi-sectoral collaboration among various government organisations.

The meeting brought together senior representatives of Central Government media units, departments, public sector undertakings and autonomous institutions, who shared the activities and achievements of their respective organisations.

Those present included Dr Abhishek Mishra, Deputy Director and Head of the Regional News Unit, Doordarshan, Bhubaneswar; Dr Suchitra Samal, Senior Regional Director, Regional Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Bhubaneswar; Ashok Kr Dash, State Director, MY Bharat, Odisha; Rohit Nandeshwar, Assistant Section Officer, MY Bharat, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; Dr Satyajit Rath, Scientist-G, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar; Avijit Pathak, Public Relations Officer, NIT Rourkela; Nirmalya Behera, News Editor, Regional News Unit, Akashvani, Cuttack; Asit Prasad Samal, Sub-Divisional Officer, BSNL, Paradip; Dr Biju V N, Assistant Director, MPEDA; Rojalin Sahoo, Branch Manager, ESIC, Paradip; Bikash Ranjan Dalai, Information Assistant, PIB, Bhubaneswar; and Ratikant Nayak, Chief Manager (Corporate Relation & Communication), PPA.

The conference began with a welcome address by Pradeep Kumar Choudhury, Member Secretary, IMPCC Odisha region, who also conducted the proceedings. Swadhin Shakti Prasad, Media and Communication Officer, PIB, proposed the vote of thanks.