SC Panel discusses dusty cargo issues with TN officials

Chennai:

The committee appointed by Supreme Court to study the issues relating to dusty cargo on Friday held its first meeting in Chennai with Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu Debendranath Sarangi.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Union Shipping secretary P K Sinha, who is a member of the panel, said that the committee also met different stakeholders.

His visit comes in the wake of Chennai Port Trust planning to explore the possibility of handling coal and iron cargo again which was banned by Madras high court.

The committee, which also consists of secretary of ministry of environment and forest, principal secretary of state’s environment and forest and nominee of central pollution control board, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, National Environment Engineering Research Institute and IIT Madras, is to submit the report to Supreme Court on July 15.

The shipping secretary said the committee, which will assess the impact or extent of pollution due to handling of dusty coal and iron ore at the Port Trust, also inspected iron ore and coal stocking yards.

He also highlighted that the Shipping ministry is working on a three-pronged strategy to reduce public private partnership delays.

These include trying to enhance the delegation of powers to approve projects. He said Finance ministry and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have powers to approve projects worth rs 500 crore. “We have only power to approve projects worth rs 300 Crore. We have move a proposal to raise it to Rs 500 crore so that it can cut down delays,” he added.

He also said there are also plans to reduce the time taken for security clearance besides trying to sequence the projects.

He also said in the current financial year, the shipping ministry has fixed 25 public private projects in Chennai and Tuticorin.