New Delhi: The shipping ministry plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore to set up at least five deep-sea ports in the country during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period. The ministry would be issuing requests for proposal (RFPs) for appointing consultants for developing these ports, reported Business Standard.

These ports which would be developed through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, comes close on the heels as a part of the recent move of appointing a consultant for setting up a deep-sea port in West Bengal under PPP.

Though this plan is at an early stage, ministry officials say that the government would control the connectivity aspect of the proposed ports. Hence, in case if there are plans to develop rail and road connectivity to these ports, then it would be done by the government. Private companies would be given the task of developing and managing the berths and terminals of the proposed ports.

Currently, none of the 12 major ports in the country have a draft (the depth of a vessel's keel below the surface, especially when loaded) of more than 12 metres. Hence the government is planning these ports.

The proposed deep-sea port in West Bengal as well as the other five ones would have draft of around 16 metres.

The West Bengal port would require an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore. Consultants including Sandwell Engineering, Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and the UK-based CGR have reportedly responded to the RFP for the West Bengal port.