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Raja Simhan T.E.

Worth nearly Rs 1,350 cr; delay between 4 months and 7 years

Chennai , Oct. 26

Twelve projects worth nearly Rs 1,350 crore are progressing behind schedule at various major ports in the country. The delay ranges between four months and seven years. Most of the delayed projects are, however, to be completed before the year-end, according to the information available with the Union Ministry of Shipping.

Biggest delay

The biggest delay was creating additional facility to handle crude oil at Vadinar in Kandla port. The Rs 25.5-crore project was sanctioned in 1997 and was to be completed in February 2002. However, the revised date is likely to be March 2009, says theMinistry's status report of important ongoing schemes of major ports as on June 30, 2006.

The reason for the delay at Vadinar was that port crafts under this package were procured and main civil construction work was awarded to Afcons Infrastructure in 1999. However, civil work is under suspension due to intervention of the Forest department on environmental issue. The port has taken up the matter with the Gujarat Government, the report said.

NH-17 project

The Rs 33-crore construction of a four-lane road from port to Verna junction on NH-17 at the Mormugao port is delayed by nearly six years. The project was sanctioned in March 1998 and was to be completed in 2001. However, the revised date is likely to be February 2007. The project cost has more than doubled to Rs 80 crore in the last few years. The port's contribution was Rs 20 crore and the National Highways Authority of India was executing the project.

Roadwork from Verna junction to Varnapuri junction (13.1 km) has been completed and the stretch was opened for traffic. Work for the remaining 5 km will be taken up after completion of land acquisition by the State government, says the report.

Deepening and widening of main harbour channel and the JN port channel is delayed by four months. Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick India Ltd was appointed as project consultant for the Rs 800-crore project. Some of the other projects that had a delay by over a year include the Rs 38-crore Ennore-Manali, Expressway, the report said.

Schemes on schedule

Seven major projects worth Rs 270 crore are progressing as per schedule. The Rs 155-crore project to deepen the channel at the Paradip port was sanctioned in 2005 and is likely to completed by April 2007. Similarly, the Rs 47-crore project to construct berth number 2 at the Haldia Dock Complex is likely to be completed by December 2007.

Some of the other projects include replacement of four barge unloaders at the Mormugao port at Rs 35 crore. Order was placed with McNally Bharat Engineering Co in January 2005, according to the report.

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