Kochi, April 9 -- April 9:Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for a girls' hostel building and virtually inaugurated infrastructure development projects across six campuses of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) for the upgradation of maritime education and infrastructure.

The projects, with a total estimated cost of Rs 67.77 crore, were announced during a ceremony that he chaired at the IMU campus in Kochi. Among the key projects is a new girls' hostel at IMU Kochi, for which Sonowal laid the foundation stone. Developed at a cost of Rs 13.11 crore, the facility will significantly improve residential accommodation for female maritime students. Simultaneously, the Minis...