Calcutta, May 23: The Union shipping ministry plans to modernise ship-repairing facilities in seven locations across the country as part of its effort to bolster infrastructure for better traffic movement through inland waterways and coastal shipping.

The Centre has identified the locations under seven ports where such existing ship-repairing facility can be upgraded, a shipping ministry official today said.

Cochin Shipyard, a public sector undertaking under the shipping ministry, will modernise these facilities with participation from the respective port authorities.

"It had been decided last week in a meeting in Goa that seven ports, which have ship repair facilities, that need to be upgraded should enter into an understanding with Cochin Shipyard to develop them into a good ship repairing facility," Rabindra Kumar Agarwal, ministry of shipping's joint secretary (Sagarmala Wing), said on the sidelines of an ICC event.

Pandu in Assam, Mumbai, Goa and Kandla are among the identified ports.