The Hindu Business Line : Paradip port: Minister for speedy implementation of connectivity projects

DURING his recent, and first, visit to the Paradip port, the Shipping Minister, Mr T.R. Baalu, took a good deal of interest in expeditious implementation of port connectivity projects.

On his way to the port, he stopped at several points to inspect the work of the Rs 440-crore widening of the 77-km long National Highway 5A and of the Rs 280-crore 82-km long Haridaspur-Paradip dedicated railway freight corridor, according to port sources.

The road widening project is being implemented by a SPV, Paradip Port Road Company, floated jointly by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) with the latter holding 10 per cent stake.

The work of the project, which began about a year ago, is to be completed within three years. However, the Minister insisted that the work must be completed before schedule. He particularly inspected the work of the bridges on the river Luna and Mahanadi and urged all the stakeholders, including the State Government, to hold meeting urgently to review the progress of work and identify the bottlenecks, if any, and initiate measures for their removal, the sources said.

The Shipping Minister also inspected the place where the proposed alignment of Haridaspur-Paradip freight corridor is to take place. The project is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd which has floated an SPV for this purpose in partnership with the Orissa Government, the PPT and three private firms, namely, Rungta Mines, Essel Mining and Industries and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

The Minister suggested that the proposed railway freight corridor must be able to handle heavy axle 100-tonne capacity wagons as compared with the present 65-tonne capacity ones so that the average payload of the rake is increased, the sources added.

Within the Paradip port area, the Minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a harbour concrete road and a trade centre and reviewed the progress of coastline protection and environment management measures. He noted with satisfaction that most of the schemes now in various stages of implementation in the port were launched in the past two years or so.

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