Rs 1,000-crore shipyard at Tuticorin Port Trust soon

A shipyard at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore would soon come up on the premises of Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT), said its Chairman N K Ragupathy, here on Tuesday.

After unfurling the National flag at Port School grounds in Thoothukudi, Ragupathy said since the Port was declared a major port on July 11, 1974, TPT had caused establishment of many new industries in TN and South India.

In order to further enhance the productivity of the Port, TPT was embarking on the inner harbour development and outer harbour development activities at an estimated cost of Rs 835 crore and Rs 3,300 crore respectively.

As the industrial development activities in and around Thoothukudi, were declining in the last few years for various reasons, prompt assistance of the State and the Central Government to the Port could trigger economic development in the region.

Requesting special assistance from the State Government for TPT to enhance industrial growth in the entire South Tamil Nadu, he further said the Central Government should accord prompt clearance for various proposals initiated by the port.

Seeking cent percent financial assistance from the Central Government to increase the harbour draft from the existing 10.7 mts to 12.8 mts, Ragupathy demanded the Central Government consider proposals of TPT at the earliest.

Detailing the proposed plan of setting up the shipyard at the harbour in Thoothukudi at an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore, he said a feasibility report on the project that had been already prepared would be submitted in a month’s time to the Union Ministry of Shipping. Once the project would be approved in principle by the Ministry, tenders would be floated.

The shipyard, if set up, is expected to generate employment to around 5,000 men, he added.

Source: NewIndPress.com