Ennore Port to expand by acquiring 700 acres of land

Chennai:

Ennore Port is likely to expand by acquiring 700 acres of land to utilize it for port related activities, according to Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan and Union Shipping Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha.

Talking to reporters after DCI Dredge XIX was dedicated in a function at Ennore Port, they said Ennore port would be spending Rs 400 crore from the infrastructure bonds allocated by the shipping ministry to buy the land near the port.

Sinha said the Union Finance Ministry has cleared Rs 5,000 crore tax free infrastructure bonds for the Shipping Ministry. He said the ministry has asked for Rs 3,500 crore worth bonds. The ministry has allocated 2,000 crore infrastructure bonds to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, Rs 1,000 to Ennore port and Rs 500 crore to Dredging Corporation of India, he added.

The shipping secretary said of the 1,000 crore allocated to Ennore Port, Rs 400 crore would be used to transfer the 700 acre of salt pans to the port for development purpose.

Sinha said that 52 per cent of work on the Chennai-Ennore port connectivity road (formerly EMRIP) has been completed and assured that the balance work would be completed by June 2013.

The shipping secretary also said that the bids for mega container terminal project in Chennai port, which has got security clearance, would open on December 24.