Centre plans to revive Sethusamudiram project

Project to cost around Rs 800 crore & will save 350-mile round trip for ships

The new government at the Centre led by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is planning to revive the much-awaited Sethusamudiram project on the southern tip of the Indian peninsula.

The project that will involve the deepening of the sea bed will save a 350-mile round trip for ships from the west coast to reach the east coast.

Announcing the important projects that will be undertaken by the new government, T R Baalu, union minister for Shipping and Surface Transport, said that the Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) has been identified as the nodal agency to handle this project.

He said that TPT will submit a report to this effect by June 15, with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board seeking its approval for this project.

"The sea will have to be deepened by seven metres to allow large ships to pass. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 800 crore and will be undertaken in a phased manner. Though are yet to decide on the mode of finance, we are open to take the build-operate-transfer (BoT) route and allow private investment to the extent of 49 per cent," the minister said.

The ministry will even encourage ports in the eastern coast to participate in this project, he added. Baalu indicated that the state government's co-operation will also be sought in this project.

Since the Dravidian parties have discussed this project, he did not foresee any resistance coming from the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu.

Baalu ruled out any possibility of privatisation of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

He said: "SCI is a mini-ratna and the government will not divest any stake in this company." He said that the Golden Quadrilateral project will be completed to the extent of 95 per cent by December this year. "Apart from the minor land related issues, the project is very much on schedule," he said.

The union government has already identified four state highways that can be upgraded into national highways. These include the roads connecting Coimbatore and Ooty, Dindugal and Theni, Tanjore and Virudachalam, and Radhapuram and Nagergoil.

Baalu said that the development work can be started once the state government makes a formal request for the union government to take over these roads.

"Both the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments have already requested the union government to take over the 92-km highway connecting Chennai and Tirupati. This project is expected to cost around Rs 60 crore. It will be a two-lane road with a 1.5 metre shoulder," Baalu said.

Discussing his investment plans for his own constituency (South Madras), Baalu said that two flyover projects are in the pipeline. One of them will be a multi-layer flyover at Kathipara Junction and another flyover will be constructed opposite to the Chennai Airport, he said.

'Reinstate dismissed CCTL staff'

Expressing his views on the ongoing strike by the employees of Chennai Container Terminal Limited (CCTL), T R Baalu, minister for Shipping and Surface Transport, said: "We have reports that the company executives forced some of the employees to sign on blank papers even while the issue was being handled by the state labour commissioner. The issue has been unnecessarily precipitated by the company's management."

As CCTL is a private company, the Union ministry does not have a say in the ongoing strike.

He, however, urged the company's management to reinstate four employees who have been dismissed since the strike started on May 23. "We have made this request on a humanitarian basis," he said.