Tuticorin Port Trust to focus on infrastructure development

Projects to the tune of Rs. 109.66 crore to be taken up this fiscal.

The Tuticorin Port Trust would focus on infrastructure development, traffic improvement and human resources development to improve overall performance during the current fiscal, its Chairman, N.K. Raghupathy, has said. he said that infrastructure development worth Rs. 109.66 crore would be taken up this fiscal.

Of the total cost, Rs. 50 crore would be earmarked towards dredging at Inner Harbour to increase draught to 12.8 metres, Rs. 5 crore each for procurement of a tug and improvement of roads, Rs. 20 crore towards construction of Berth 9, Rs. 5 crore for replacement of few cranes and Rs. 4.6 core for other continuing schemes. The remaining amount would be utilised for contribution to the equity of Sethusamudram Corporation Limited and National Highways Authority of India.

Mr. Raghupathy said that Outer Harbour would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 4,000 crore.

"We have forwarded a proposal to the Centre seeking `in principle' approval for short listing of bidders for the Outer Harbour Development project," he added. Construction of North Cargo berth planned on captive basis for Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is expected to be completed before December 31, 2008. "The entire cost of project to the tune of Rs. 40 crore would be borne by NLC," he said. "