Questioning the Centre’s stance on the Chabahar Port project in Iran, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that “continuity in governance” is an “essential reality” that the Narendra Modi Government refuses to acknowledge, and termed the apparent disengagement from the project a strategic setback to India’s outreach in Central Asia. Mr. Ramesh’s remarks come amid the absence of any allocation for the Chabahar Port in the 2026–27 Union Budget. “Chabahar, which is about 170 km west of Pakistan’s Gwadar port built by China, is now not on the horizon. The project gained renewed momentum after then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran. According to Mr. Ramesh, the Union Cabinet approved an initial investment of $115 million for the project in May 2013.

Source: The Hindu March 15, 2026 14:20 UTC