New deep trap port to be built at Kolkata: Baalu

New Delhi, Nov 7 (UNI) The Government has decided to construct a deep trap port at Kolkata at an estimated cost of Rs 7000 crore, Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu today said.

Addressing the Economic Editors Conference here, he said that this project is being taken up under a special programme, and and expressions of interest have been invited.

Mr Baalu also regretted that a section of the media was trying to malign the image of his ministry by spreading ''rumours'' that the work on the Golden Quadrilateral was going slow, and said this was ''totally incorrect.'' ''When the UPA Government took over, only 42 per cent of this project was completed... now the status is that over 93 per cent has being completed and another three per cent is expected to be completed by end of this calender year,'' he said.

''Than where is the delay?'' he questioned.

Responding to questions on shipping vessels, Mr Baalu said presently around 87 per cent are foreign liners and the remaining 13 per cent are Indian vessels. ''However, efforts are on to increase the share of Indian vessels,'' he added.

On the question of National Highways (NH), the Minister said the aim of the UPA was to convert the entire system into four-laned roads and this would be completed in phases.

Responding to another question, Mr Baalu ssaid that the entire dredging work of the Sethusamudram project would be completed by November 2008, adding that this project was of ''great national interest.'' The Minister also said that the 1000-km Expressways project, recently cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, includes the construction of separate slot of 400 km of expressway between Vadodara-Mumbai, while the remaining 600 Km is yet to be identified.

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