Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR)

Mangalore, Feb 3: The 59th Republic Day celebrations of the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) went off to a glittering start here  at the NMPT stadium, on Saturday, Feb 2. All around there was an air of festivity, pomp and gaiety.

The republic day started off with the usual unfurling of the national flag and receiving of the guard of honour by CISF, port, fire service, NCC cadets, scouts, guides of Kendriya Vidyalaya and NMPT school.

After the formal ceremonies, addressing the gathering the NMPT chairman P Tamilvanan in his speech poignantly declared that the day is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by our valiant freedom fighters, who laid down their lives for the country.

Reeling out statistics on the country's economy the NMPT chairman said India is the second fastest growing economies in the world with a GDP growth rate of 9.4% for the fiscal year 2006-2007.

In this context zeroing in on the port sector, he informed that the major ports of India are doing well. From a meagre 20 million tones handled in 1950, now the country's 12 major ports have handled 463.84 million tons in 2006-07.

According to him in the current financial year i.e up-to Dec 2007, the major ports have handled 378.8 million tons of cargo, thereby showing an increase of 12.5% as compared to the same period in the previous year. He also listed out briefly the achievements of NMPT.

In the later half of the day the students of NMPT school presented some cultural programmes adding a touch of colour and merriment to the function. Prizes were given out to the students who took part in these programmes. Citation and cash prizes where distributed to the employees, school teachers and children for their exemplary performance.

This year too like the previous years, the tree plantation ritual was carried out wherein, senior officers, trustees of New Mangalore Port Trust enthusiastically laid the sapling doing their bit for conserving the environment.