In the last Cabinet meeting, the CM had deferred the decision on inviting tenders for developing the port project. Following this, Fisheries Minister Anand Asnotikar, along with the Reddys of Bellary, had walked out of the Cabinet meeting, it was reported.
In Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, the approval was given without debating about the proposal, it is said. The proposed port is expected to cater to the requirements of North Karnataka. The Karnataka State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation has been selected as the nodal agency to execute the project, said Home Minister V S Acharya, while briefing the outcome of the Cabinet meeting.
Report to be finalised
The Detailed Project Report would be finalised soon and Phase I of the port is expected to handle 14 million tonnes of cargo per year. For the initial phase the project cost is Rs 2,220 crore. The KPCL is planning to establish a 2,100 MW (3 x 700 MW) capacity gas-based combined cycle power plant at Tadadi. The port will be developed as the second major port in the coastal belt.
The New Mangalore Port has the capacity to handle 36 million tonnes, while the Tadadi port will be developed in five phases which will eventually enable to handle 100 million tonnes of cargo a year, an officer said.
The State government agencies will have 26 per cent stakes, while a private agency to be selected will have 74 per cent investment. A special purpose vehicle will have to be floated in next four weeks for implementing the project.
Chamalapura dropped
The Government is in possession of 1,800 acres of land in Tadadi. While 600 acres have been earmarked for the power project, the rest would be used for the Phase I of the port, the officer said.
The Cabinet also decided to drop its proposal to set up the Chamalapura Thermal Power Plant in Mysore, following protest by the local population and environmentalists. Acharya said that the Government took the decision to drop the 1000 MW thermal power plant for environmental reasons.
Tumkur Corporation
The Cabinet also approved to accord corporation status to Tumkur City. Once the Government notifies its decision, Tumkur will become the State’s ninth corporation.
Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar said, Tumkur satisfies all the four parameters required for an urban pocket to be declared a corporation, including population (above three lakh), population density (above 3000 per sq km), resource mobilisation (above Rs 6 crore per annum), and population of non-agriculturists (above 50 pc).
Hutti gold mines
The Cabinet decided to commission the fourth shaft at Hutti Gold Mines at a cost Rs 204 crore. Once operational, the new shaft will produce 598 kg of gold per annum.
The Cabinet also decided to provide incentive in form of Rs 30 crore subsidy and
Rs 33 crore tax exemption to Shahi Exports for setting up a readymade garment unit in Shimoga. The company has proposed to invest Rs 533 crore for setting up the unit with a potential to create 10,032 jobs.
