MANGALURU : Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore.
One of them that was worth over Rs 280 crore was for mechanisation of a berth for handling containers and other cargo undertaken by the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA).
He laid the foundation of five projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore undertaken by the port.
Further, the Prime Minister inaugurated two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited — BS VI upgradation project and a desalination plant worth Rs 1,830 crore and Rs 680 crore respectively.
The desalination plant would help reduce dependency on fresh water and ensure regular supply of hydrocarbons and petrochemicals throughout the year, according to an official statement.
Having a capacity of 30 million litres per day (MLD), the plant converts sea-water into water required for refineries, the statement said.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said the NMPA is working to modernise and mechanise its infrastructure as part of ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’.
He added that the NMPA is a 100 per cent solar-powered port, which has won several awards for zero emission.
Sonowal said Karnataka is a major stakeholder contributing to the success of Sagarmala’ with 55 projects worth Rs 15,000 crore.
In his address, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the projects would increase the capacity of the New Mangalore Port.
A new LPG terminal, bitumen, and edible oil storage centre is coming up. A major development of the State is happening through coastal Karnataka, Bommai said.
He said due to the double-engine government’, 18 projects were completed under the “Sagarmala” project, while 14 new projects worth Rs 950 crore were sanctioned by the Shipping Ministry for the overall development of coastal Karnataka.
“The businessmen in this region know that the benefits Kerala and Goa had were not available to Karnataka. We fought for 30 years. Because of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Mangaluru, our CRZ (coastal regulation zone) masterplan has been approved and an order to this effect given, this had been a long-pending demand of Karnataka,” Bommai said.
Similarly, the Majali project in Karwar worth Rs 350 crore was approved.
Bommai thanked Modi for the Fishery Department’s nod for deepsea fishing. For the first time, a 40 per cent subsidy is being given by the Centre to purchase 100 high-speed boats for deepsea fishing, he said.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the projects would help overall development of the region. (PTI)