More MoUs for new ports soon

The Orissa government will sign memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two companies for setting up ports at Astharanga and Chudamani.

These include the captive port proposed by the Essel Mining and Industries, a AV Birla group company, at Chudamani in Bhadrakh district and the all weather multi-user port proposed by the Navyug Engineering at Ashtaranga in Puri district.

The Hyderabad based Navyug Engineering plans to invest Rs1900 crore in the first phase for setting up an all weather port at Astharanga in the mouth of Devi river.

While Rs 1500 crore will be invested for the port, Rs 400 crore will be spent for railway connectivity.

It will have a cargo handling capacity of 20 million tonne per annum in the first phase.

Essel Mining has applied to the state government for developing a captive port at Chudamani at a cost of Rs 1500 crore.

It has proposed to develop the port under a consortium of Aditya Birla Group companies for movement of cement, iron ore, thermal coal, limestones, gypsum, clinker, copper.

It will have a cargo handling capacity of 2 million tonne initially to be enhanced to 10 million tonne over a period of time, sources said. “The chief minister has approved the proposal to sign MoU with these two companies,” said a senior official of the state commerce and transport department.