Shipping ministry releases Rs 50.50 cr for EMRIP project

Chennai:

In a bid to meet the June 2013 deadline, Shipping Ministry on Friday released Rs 50.50 crore funds towards equity share contribution for the Chennai Road Port Connectivity Project (formerly Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project).

The cheque of Rs 50.50 crore (Rs 43.5 crore of Chennai Port Trust and Rs 7.5 crore of Ennore Port) was handed over to SR Tholia, General Manager (GM) and Project Director of National Highway Authority of India by Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan.

The minister, who is periodically reviewing the progress of the work, said that 32 per cent of work has been completed and the Rs 600 crore project is expected to be completed by June 2013.

Both Chennai and Ennore Ports are contributing a total of Rs 284.43 crore which is nearly 50 per cent of the project cost. “So far including Friday’s contribution of Rs 50.50 crore, a total of Rs 135 crore has already been paid by both the ports and the remaining amount would be paid as and when NHAI would ask for it,” Vasan said.

The minister said that land acquisition has been completed and the rehabilitated fisheremen are being provided with fishing stalls. “Allotment orders has already been issued for 133 out of 188 shops and the remaining shops will be allotted shortly. The port has incurred Rs 2.3 crore for this purpose,” he added.

He also said the Chennai Port is providing financial assistance worth Rs 35 crore to the dependents of employees who died while in service. He said the compassionate appointment of dependents of the employees who died while in service has become a long waiting period as number of vacancies earmarked for compassionate appointment is only five per cent and the family members of the deceased employees cannot be kept waiting for a long time.

“Chennai Port will provide an amount of Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 5 lakh as financial assistance depending on the number of years they are waiting for,” the minister said, adding that till now 663 of the 868 dependents have submitted their particulars and scrutiny the will be provided financial assistance from next month.