Chabahar Port in Iran will be ready next year: Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai: Expressing confidence that Chabahar Port in Iran will be ready for operations by 2018, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said India is considering sending wheat to Afghanistan via the strategically located port.

"Government of India is going to send one lakh tons of wheat to Afghanistan, and we are trying to send that via Chabahar," the minister said at an event here, days after his visit to Iran.

He said the civil construction of the port project, being developed by India, is complete, and the government is in a position to place orders worth Rs 400 crore for mechanised equipment and cranes.

"I feel we will commence the operations by 2018," he said. During his visit, Gadkari said, he met Iran President Hasan Rouhani, and construction of a railway line liking the port with Russia was discussed.

"Now, we are building a railway line in Iran. From Chabhar, we can go to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Russia," he said.

An official statement had said yesterday that India and Iran had expressed commitment for early completion and operationalisation of Chabahar Port.