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Exim
News Service NEW DELHI, June
16,2005
The Sethusamudram waves are
washing ashore more noisily now. It’s a bustle of activity as
the decks are being cleared for the foundation stone-laying
ceremony either this month-end or early July.
The importance attached to the
project can be gauged from the fact that the Prime Minister, Dr
Manmohan Singh, and the Chairperson of the National Advisory
Council, Ms Sonia Gandhi, are themselves expected to attend the
foundation-laying ceremony.
This channel will connect the Gulf
of Mannar and Bay of Bengal to allow ships to traverse between
the East and West Coasts of India within India’s territorial
waters, without circumventing Sri Lanka. It is expected to be
completed before the end of this decade.
In view of the security threats
from various quarters, including the LTTE, the venue of the
ceremony is being finalized in consultation with the Ministry of
Home Affairs. Inter-ministerial meetings are already on and the
Minister for Shipping, Mr T. R. Baalu, has directed the Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Coast Guard to ensure
foolproof arrangements are made for land and sea security.
The Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission
recently decided to organize a meeting of experts in July to
discuss the project and allay the apprehensions of
environmentalists.
Mr Baalu, officials from the
Ministry and from Doordarshan were also there on June 13 to
oversee a trial run of telecast of dredging operations conducted
in the offshore waters of Chennai Port. The Cabinet had, last
month, approved the project at a cost of
Rs 2,427.40 crore. Of this, Rs 1,456.40 crore will be the
debt component, while Rs 971 crore will be raised via equity.
The Union Cabinet has also approved
the assignment of dredging 12-13 million cubic metres in the
Palk Strait by the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI).
This operation is expected to commence soon after the
inauguration. Global tenders may be called shortly for the rest
of the 82 million cubic metres of dredging that will be
required.
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