Govt to develop six port projects worth Rs 3,319 cr

NEW DELHI: Under the much-hyped 100-days programme of the UPA government, the shipping ministry has proposed to award a contract for six port projects costing Rs 3,319 crore on a public private partnership (PPP) basis. It will seek the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approval for setting up mechanised iron ore handling facility at New Mangalore Port (NMPT) in Karnataka in the next few weeks.

���The six projects are expected to add capacity of 31.23 million tonnes and 1.97 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units),��� shipping minister GK Vasan said while unveiling the ministry���s 100-days agenda.

The proposed projects include development of a deep draught iron ore berth and a coal berth with a capacity of 10 million tonnes each at a cost of Rs 591.35 crore and Rs 479.01 crore respectively at Paradip port. A container terminal with a capacity of 1.5 million TEUs at Ennore port is also planned at an estimated cost of Rs 1,407 crore.
The shipping minister also said the government was looking into the possibility of disinvesting Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

���The ministry is examining the economic climate and we will take a view on this,��� Mr Vasan said, adding that the financial health of the public sector company needs to be improved. The ministry is examining a proposal of financial restructuring of Hindustan Shipyards and transfer of assets of the yard to the ministry of defence. It has also decided to strengthen Indian Maritime University in Chennai with campuses at Kolkata, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.
Meanwhile, the ministry has proposed to declare Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep as major ports. It would soon approach the Cabinet seeking its approval for the same.