You could soon plan weddings on luxury cruises if government has its way

NEW DELHI: The shipping ministry will soon permit "marriage cruises" on sea which can accommodate as many as 4,000-5,000 persons for holding any social event.

Shipping and road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said a private player has shown interest in coming up with such a service and his ministry is keen to allow such operations on the Indian seas.

Stating that the facilities in such luxury cruises would be "better than any of Delhi's banquet halls", Gadkari said these will have hundreds of rooms, playgrounds, swimming pool, spa and saloon. "The marriage programme can happen during the Mumbai-Goa cruise or for that matter on any stretch," he said.

Similarly, the shipping ministry is now approaching the DGCA for changing its policy to allow sea planes to be flown. Gadkari said one private player has come up with a proposal to operate 25 sea planes. "Until the DGCA gives permission and changes its policy, no sea plane either by government or private party can operate.

There is also a view that we must open up the sky beneath 5,000 metres," he said. Gadkari also launched Setu Bharatam project for building bridges by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, which will involve Rs 55,000 crore investment.

These works will include building railway over- and under-bridges across the entire National Highways network and rebuilding 1,500 British-era bridges. He announced completion of building of all 208 rail bridges by 2019 with an expenditure of Rs 10,200 crore.