On September 2, 2022, the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi laid the foundation for 8 projects worth Rs 3,800 crore at Goldfinch city in Mangaluru (Karnataka), and approved the State’s revised Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).
- Karnataka is the first state in southern India and only the second state (after Goa) in India to get the CZMP prepared and approved as per the 2019 Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) notification which has been approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
- This Plan will boost the economy and tourism in the coastal region of Karnataka.
Following are the Rs 3,800 crore projects that were inaugurated/laid by the PM at Goldfinch city in Mangaluru:
i.Project worth over Rs 280 crore for mechanization of Berth No. 14 for handling containers and other cargo, undertaken by the New Mangalore Port Authority was inaugurated.
- Phase I of the project has been successfully completed, thereby adding over 4.2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to the handling capacity, which will further increase to over 6 MTPA by 2025.
ii.Foundation stone of five projects worth around Rs 1000 crore, undertaken by the Port were laid including integrated LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and Bulk Liquid POL Facility, equipped with a state-of-the-art cryogenic LPG storage tank terminal which will be capable of unloading full load VLGC (very large gas carriers) of 45,000 tonnes in a highly efficient manner.
- The facility will bolster Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the region while reinforcing the port’s status as one of the top LPG importing ports in the country.
iii.PM also laid the foundation stone of projects for the construction of storage tanks and edible oil refinery, construction of bitumen storage and allied facilities and construction of bitumen & edible oil storage and allied facilities.
iv.Foundation stone for the development of the Fishing Harbour at Kulai was also laid, which will facilitate safe handling of fish catch and enable better prices in the global market.
v.Inaugurated two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited viz. BS VI Upgradation Project, and Sea Water Desalination Plant was also done.
- The BS VI Upgradation Project, worth around Rs 1830 crores, will facilitate the production of ultra-pure environment-friendly BS-VI grade fuel (with sulphur content less than 10 PPM).
- The Sea Water Desalination Plant, set up at a cost of around Rs. 680 crores, will help reduce dependency on fresh water and ensure a regular supply of hydrocarbons and petrochemicals throughout the year. Having a capacity of 30 Million Litres per Day (MLD), the Plant converts seawater into water required for the refinery processes.
Other Central Government approvals for Karnataka to boost its Development:
i.Under Sagar Mala project, 18 projects have been completed and 14 schemes worth Rs 950 crore are approved by Union Government
ii.The Central Government has given approval for the development of Maajali Port in Karwar at a cost of Rs 350 crore.
iii.Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada scheme, Government has given approval to supply 100 high speed boats to help deep sea fishing.
iv.The Government is also expanding Mangaluru and Karwar ports.
v.The government has implemented Vidyanidhi scheme for the children of fishermen and it will benefit 2 lakh children.
vi.The Inland and Fishery Institute will be established in Karwar.
vii.Fishermen will get 5,000 houses under Matsyashraya scheme at a cost of Rs 64 crore.
Recent Related News:
i.Karnataka is slated to be the first state in India to establish an exclusive Research and Development (R & D) policy. A Task Force, headed by Professor Ashok S. Shettar, the Vice-Chancellor of KLE Technological University (KLE Tech), Karnataka, and other officials, has been formed to ensure its effective implementation.
ii.According to the Israel-based StartupBlink’s ‘Global Startup Ecosystem Index (GSEI) 2022’, Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka, has the “strongest startup ecosystem in India” and ranks 8th among the world’s top 10 cities.
About Karnataka:
Chief Minister (CM)– Basavaraj Bommai
Festivals – Karnataka Rajyotsava (Celebrates the formation day of the state); Kambala Festival (an annual buffalo race)
Stadium – Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA) Hockey Stadium (Bengaluru); Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground (Gangotri Glades Cricket Ground)
