Commerce and transport Minister of Odisha Subrat Tarai informed that the state government was awaiting a report on the techno-economic feasibility study (TEFS) for the proposed port at Bichitrapur in Balasore district.
Sources in the knowhow informed that the threat posed to the nearby Subarnarekha river mouth is a challenge for the proposed captive deep-sea port at Bichitrapur.
Based on the report, the state government would take a call on establishment of the port by Jindal Infrastructure, a JSW Group company.
Targeting a cargo throughput of 10 million tonne per annum (mn tpa) in the first phase, JSW Infrastructure announced to invest Rs 2,238-crore on the port project.
The minister said the study was going on and if the report is positive, the state government would clear the port project.
Further, the feasibility of the project is questioned owing to the proposal to set up another commercial port by Creative Port Development at Kirtania located within 10-km radius of Bichitrapur.
In the first phase, the company was to invest Rs 550 crore and this was scheduled for commissioning by 2013.
The port’s cargo handling was projected to reach 20 mn tpa in the second phase set to be operational by 2013 and 45 mn tpa by 2020.
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