Plans to set up two international size shipyards

New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) The government plans to set up two international size shipyards on the East Coast and the West Coast under the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) to boost port-based trade, the government said today.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu said Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh had been identified as one of the sites for setting up a shipyyard on the East Coast.

Mr Baalu said a committee, headed by the Chairman, Indian Ports Association, to identify locations and suggest measures to facilitate setting up of two international size shipyards had submitted its report.

As per the committee's report, Larsen&Toubro had proposed to make investments in the Kakikanada shipyard, but it does not include the amount of investment proposed by the company.

''The report of the committee is under examination,'' he said.

Replying to another query, the minister said there was a proposal to develop a fourth container terminal having a two-km quay line for handling containers at Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

''A feasibility study for the project has been completed and Expressions of Interest for the project have been received from a number of parties,'' he added.

On completion of the fourth container terminal project, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port is expected to handle 7.2 million TEUs (Twenty Feet Equivalent Units) of container cargo per annum.

In 2005-06, the port handled 2.67 million TEUs of container cargo.

UNI SKS MIR DS1405