The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Nod to develop Colachel as a major port

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Nod to develop Colachel as a major port

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has approved the Centre's proposal to develop Colachel as a major port.

"The State Government has given us a no-objection certificate... [bids] have been invited from consultants for preparing a detailed project report," Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu told reporters here on Tuesday. The State Government also needed to notify the land. If the project went ahead on schedule, the foundation stone would be laid by next December.

Sources in-charge of the project implementation said an NOC was necessary as minor ports such as Colachel came under the purview of the State Government.

Container terminal

Mr. Baalu said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi would inaugurate the 125th year celebrations of the Chennai port on Wednesday and lay the foundation stone for a Rs.492-crore second container terminal, to be developed by the Chennai Port Trust on a build-operate-transfer basis.

To a query on a section of the trade unions opposing the privatisation of the terminal, Mr. Baalu said development on the BOT basis and privatisation were different concepts.

Under BOT, the port trust continued to own the land and would also get a share of the profit (made by the terminal operator).

At the same function, Mr. Karunanidhi would also open a super speciality diabetes hospital of the port trust on Rajaji Salai and lay the foundation stone for Ennore port's coal, iron ore and liquid (petroleum products) terminals.

Maritime meet

Union Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee would inaugurate an international maritime conference being held as part of the celebrations, at the Centenary Auditorium of the University of Madras.

Some of the projects to be implemented under the National Maritime Development Programme at the Chennai Port Trust include deepening of channels and strengthening of berths, setting up a windmill project in south Tamil Nadu and a multi-level parking to accommodate cars exported through the port, Mr. Baalu said.

An elevated expressway from Chennai port's War Memorial gate to Maduravoyal also figured under NMDP. The estimated cost of project was Rs.1,550 crore, as against Rs.800 crore previously following a change in its alignment under which a part of it would come along the Cooum.

Land acquisition

On queries pertaining to land acquisition by the National Highways Authority of India for its ongoing flyover projects in Chennai, he said, "Nobody can prevent the construction or development activities of NHAI."

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