Mangalore-Udupi SEZs| Small/Medium/Large Scale Industries

[mangalore mania]

MANGALORE, JULY 14:
The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the Karnataka Government to make Mangalore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as a ‘general purpose multi-product zone'.

In a letter to the Karnataka Industries Minister, Mr Murugesh Nirani, here on Thursday – copies of which were released to the press in the evening – the President of KCCI, Mr G.G. Mohandas Prabhu, said that currently the status of Mangalore SEZ is restricted to a petroleum and petrochemical zone only for want of sufficient land.

A general purpose multi-product zone requires a minimum 2,500 acres as specified by the Government of India, the letter said.

He said Mangalore SEZ had been conceived from the beginning itself as a ‘general purpose multi-product zone'. Stating that the multi-product SEZ will generate employment to not less than 1.25 lakh people directly, he said this cannot be expected from a sector-specific SEZ.

He said that fulfilling the objective of establishing the ‘general purpose multi-product zone' alone is the solution for this. He requested the Minister to resolve this issue by providing required land to make Mangalore SEZ Ltd functional as a ‘general purpose multi-product zone'.

The letter said that a large number of families of the area identified to acquire land for this purposes have already consented to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) to part with their land to KIADB for industrial development. “This may please be taken note of and further action needed in this regard be initiated immediately,” Mr Prabhu said in the letter.

The KCCI letter also sought an appointment with the Government to make a presentation on the subject to justify its appeal and to fructify the project.

It may be mentioned here that the Karnataka Government on Tuesday de-notified 1,998 acres of land acquired for the second phase of Mangalore SEZ project following an indefinite hunger strike call by the seer of Pejavar Math, Vishwesha Theertha.

[mangalore mania]

The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has appealed to Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries to provide sufficient land to Mangalore SEZ Ltd for it to function as a “General Purpose Multiproduct Special Economic Zone”, said a press release. A copy of the letter with the appeal was released to the media.

According to the letter, the SEZ had been conceived as a “General Purpose Multiproduct Zone SEZ” but had become restricted to a petroleum and petrochemical SEZ because of insufficient land (the minimum 2,500 acres as specified by the Government of India.)

The letter said there were investors looking forward to set up units for export in the area. It requested that land required for making it up to 1,000 hectares be made available to the Mangalore SEZ.

[engineer.akash]

JBF Industries (JBF) to set up Unit in MSEZ

The company expanded its chip capacity in India to 550,800 tpa in FY09 from 216,000 tpa. As a de-risking strategy, the company has forward integrated into filament yarn manufacturing and is using its own chip capacity for the same. JBF is now planning to set up a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant of 1.12 mn tonnes per annum in Mangalore SEZ by mid 2014. PTA is one of the major raw materials for polyester chip manufacturing; by FY15, output from this plant will suffice JBF’s requirement of around 1 mn tonnes of PTA and will lead to better margins.

Source

[Krishnamoorthy K]

-- Hosadigantha

Should agricultural zone be forced on those who were already willing to give up their land for industry? But, green zones like the one around Pumpwell Transportation Hub suggested by me may be alright.

MSEZ forced to stop construction of wall

[engineer.akash]

Punj Lloyd bags Rs 330-cr contract in Karnataka from Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL)

NEW DELHI:Punj Lloyd today said it has won a Rs 330-crore order for setting up process facilities and utilities at an upcomingcrude oil storage cavern in Mangalore fromIndian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL)).

"Worth Rs 330 crore, this is the first cavern project for the Group and has been awarded by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas," the infrastructure firm said in a statement.

The scope of work for the project involves engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of systems for crude oil receipt, pumping out, metering, recirculation, heating, waste water treatment, utilities production, flaring and operation buildings, it said.

The project, located near Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, is scheduled to be completed within a period of 29 months.

The Mangalore crude oil storage will comprise two separate but identical underground caverns, each approximately 900 metres long, having a total capacity of 1.5 million tonne (MT) of crude oil.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas plans to store 5.33 million tonnes of imported crude oil in these crude reserves, based on a 15-day crude oil requirement of all the refineries in the country.

The crude oil reserve near Mangalore will cater to the requirements of refineries of Mangalore Refineries & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL)),Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)) andHindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).

With this contract, the order backlog for the Punj Lloyd Group on a consolidated basis has gone up to Rs 25,739 crore.

ET

[Krishnamoorthy K]

MUSCAT: Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering, a joint venture between India’s engineering giant Larsen & Toubro and The Zubair Corporation, has completed a prestigious project of manufacturing four critical reactors for ONGC’s Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (OMPL) complex in India.

These will to be exported to India in the third week of this month, for installing in Mangalore Aromatic Complex in their petrochemical refinery.

The equipments were fabricated at the Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering manufacturing complex in Sohar, a company statement said.

“It took six months to complete the manufacturing work, after procuring materials from reputed suppliers in Europe and Japan,” said the statement.

The successful completion of the work is another landmark achievement for Oman and testimony to the fabrication capabilities of the Sohar-based Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering.

Aromatics complex
An aromatics complex is a combination of process units which are used to convert petroleum naphtha to the basic petrochemical intermediates — benzene, toluene, and xylenes.

NHT reactors, two of the equipments manufactured, are required for hydro treating Naphtha to reduce sulphur and nitrogen content, as these impurities are harmful for downstream catalytic reforming reactor catalyst.

The catalytic reforming unit produces a mix of BTX and other heavy aromatics.

These equipments have been designed as per American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) pressure vessel code. Construction material of these equipments involved specialised alloy steel. Low alloy steel material was chosen to provide elevated design temperature strength.

To increase the corrosion resistance, stainless steel weld overlay and cladding inside the shell surface was provided in some equipment.

Equipment shell thicknesses were as high as 146mm and fabricated weight of the equipments were as high as 175 tonnes.

“Low alloy steel materials require utmost attention during welding due to complex welding metallurgy and weldability requirement. Plate materials and welding consumables were brought from reputed suppliers of Europe and Japan,” the statement added.

During fabrication, all welding have been carried out in a controlled temperature range to minimise chances of brittle phases in weld metal. All the weld joints were given post weld heating to reduce hydrogen levels in weld metal.

Complex geometry joints like nozzles to shell were subjected to intermediate stress.

Relieving by heating to high temperatures in order to reduce high stresses generated during welding.

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Time of Oman

[Krishnamoorthy K]

The Phase III of Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) being implemented with an objective of increasing profitability by increasing the refining capacity to 15 MMTPA, is likely to be commissioned by January 2012, said MRPL Chairman A K Hazarika.


Briefing reporters, after the 23rd Annual General meeting at MRPL premises near here on Saturday, he said the Phase III when implemented, will help to process more of low price high sulphur / high acid, heavy crude oils and to proudce value added products like propylene and upgradation of its total diesel pool to superior Euro-III / Euro-IV grade.

Stating that the cost of the project is Rs 12,160.26 crore, Hazarika said that the total value of orders placed on July 15 is Rs 10,194 crore. “The project has achieved a progress of 86.2 per cent as against the schedule target of 97.4 per cent as on August 15,” he said adding that the project implementation is progressing satisfactorily at steady pace to meet the commissioning target of January 2012 and for availing tax benefits on commissioning before March 2012.

On recent discontinuation of Asian Clearing Union mechanism by RBI for effecting remittances, he said it has been resolved and the company continues to predominantly process Iran crude (65 per cent).

DHNS

MRPL keeps retail outlet option ready

SPM project
Stating that the progress of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project as on August 15, 2011, was 32.5 per cent, Hazarika said the project is expected to be complete by May 2012.

“The company has already obtained environmental clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, for the project,” he said.

The SPM project when completed can receive crude oil from Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), through a pipeline to be laid in the sea, about 16 kms from the shore of New Mangalore Port.

To a query on the opposition by local fishermen to the project, MRPL Managing Director U K Basu said that SPM is not a new phenomenon in India and the pipes will be burried inside the sea and will not cause any harm to fishing activities. “The SPM will be of the size of a room, about 16 kms away from the shore,” he said and added that all the orders for the project have been placed and the works are expected to begin in November, soon after the monsoon.

[ajay ramchandran]

Originally Posted by Krishnamoorthy K

DHNS

MRPL keeps retail outlet option ready

Any news about Phase 2 multipurpose SEZ(minus petroleum)?Are they reviving it?

[ajay ramchandran]

http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?...dcastid=260198

[engineer.akash]

Originally Posted by ajay ramchandran

Any news about Phase 2 multipurpose SEZ(minus petroleum)?Are they reviving it?

Ajay SEZ concept is no longer lucrative to industries.Anyway,Mangalore will continue to attract huge investments,any idea where TCS is setting up office in Mangalore?I guess IOCL is planning a huge refinery in Mangalore,let's see what happens.

MRPL set commissioning target to Jan 2012

MANGALORE: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) which faced a two-month delay of its phase III refinery project expansion in June last due to local agitation has set its sight of meeting the commissioning target of January 2012. The project as on August 15 has achieved overall progress of 86.2% as against scheduled target of 97.4% and need to commission the same before March 2012 to avail tax benefits.

A K Hazarika, chairman, MRPL, briefing reporters after the 23rd annual general meeting here on Saturday said implementing phase III refinery project will enable MPRL increase profitability as its refining capacity would go up to 15 million metric tones per annum (MMTPA) against current capacity of 12 MMTPA. This will help to process more of low price high sulphur/high acid, heavy crude oils increasing the distillate yield, he said.
MRPL which imports 68% of its crude requirements from Iran is also expanding its crude basket by adding other oil supplying companies in the crude oil basket for term contract.

This, Hazarika said, was done in view of recent discontinuation of ACU mechanism by RBI for effecting remittances, which had temporarily disturbed the process. "We are looking at markets such as Kuwait to ensure continuous supply of crude," he explained.

On the progress achieved in single point mooring (SPM) facility in the sea off Mangalore Port with an objective of receiving crude oil in very large crude carrier, U K Basu, managing director of MRPL said necessary work orders have been issued and work would be executed in the lean period from November to April 2012. The targeted date of completion is May 2012, he said, adding MRPL has received clearances from MoEF.

Hazarika said MRPL has worked out its retail business plan which will see the company set up 122 retail outlets within next two years, predominantly around Mangalore with minimum logistic cost. "We will be selling motor spirit (petrol) alone since this is the only motor fuel that is deregulated," he said, adding the company presently has two retail outlets at Maddur and in Hubli. The third outlet at Kadri here is under construction.

TOI

[engineer.akash]

Originally Posted by ajay ramchandran

http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?...dcastid=260198

Ajay, according to the above TOI article,an outlet is U/C at Kadri

[engineer.akash]

ONGC mulls commission of two JV petrochem projects in 2012 and 2013

Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) plans to commission two large petrochemicals projects are currently under development through joint ventures in 2012 and 2013, as per Reuters. The petrochem project at Dahej, being developed by ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPAL) is planned for commissioning in 2012. The second by ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd (OMPL) is due for commissioning 2013.

Source

[engineer.akash]

Single point mooring facility for New Mangalore Port likely to be ready by May

MANGALORE, AUG. 29:

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) is hoping to commission the SPM (single point mooring) system in New Mangalore Port (NMP) limits by May 2012. The SPM , in the NMP area, is a facility in the sea that will help receive crude oil in very large crude carrier (VLCC) tankers.

Mr U. K. Basu, Managing Director, MRPL, told presspersons here that all the execution orders for SPM are in place. The work for the project will be started in November.

He said that November to April is the lean season to work under the sea. “All work orders are in place to start the work during that lean season, and to complete the work and commission as per the board approved date of May 2012,” Mr Basu said.

When told that there was some opposition from fishermen in the area on setting up SPM in the sea, he said the company has made a presentation to the representatives of fishermen on this.

“This is not a new phenomenon in the India. A number of SPMs are already working all over the country. Actually, this is a sub-sea pipeline we are laying. It will not cause any problem with respect to fishing along the sea,” he said.

BOARD APPROVAL

The board of MRPL had approved the SPM project in June 2010 and the ONGC board, in July 2010. Engineers India Ltd is the OBE/LSTK (open book estimate / lump-sum turnkey) contractor for the project. As of August 15, around 32 per cent the project was complete.

In its annual report for 2010-11, the company had informed the shareholders that NMPT (New Mangalore Port Trust) has allotted the land required for booster pump stations and other facilities of the projects. With SPM, MRPL can source cheaper crude from the Far-East with added freight advantage, the report said.

The Hindu Businessline

BPCL eyes Maharashtra, Karnataka for LNG unit

Rs 4,500 cr to be invested for proposed terminal; will have a capacity of 5-6 mt.

[engineer.akash]

Bid to up crude reserves

New Delhi, Aug. 31: The government plans to add four crude storage facilities to the three under construction, giving the country potential reserves of 12.5 million tonnes, or 30 days of assured supply during a crisis.

“Four more strategic crude reserve facilities are being planned at Padur (Karnataka), Bikaner (Rajasthan), Rajkot (Gujarat) and Chandikhol (Orissa) to increase the crude reserve to about 30 days,” a senior oil ministry official said.

The official said the proposal to have additional reserve was at an initial stage, and the cost of setting up the storage units would be worked out by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) after drawing out the business plan.

Officials said various options were being looked at for the optimum utilisation of the storage capacity — either the units would be rented out or they would be filled by ISPRL’s.

Another option is to develop the facilities as joint ventures with the national oil companies of Gulf countries, which are traditional suppliers of crude.

Saudi Aramco, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co and National Iranian Oil Company are some of the Gulf-based crude oil suppliers. If the Gulf countries accept the offer, India can emerge as a regional hub in crude trade. The country is a major exporter of refined petroleum products.

Yet another option will be that state-owned oil firms buy crude whenever global prices dip, and the government releases the reserves when there is an abnormal spike in world prices.

India, which imports about 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements, is building underground storages at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil at an estimated cost of over Rs 3,000 crore. This will be enough to meet the country’s requirements for 13-14 days.

The country has an existing reserve of 3-3.5 million tonnes, held by BPCL, HPCL and IOC.

The Visakhapatnam storage, being built by ISPRL, is being targeted for completion by this year-end. A similar facility in Mangalore will have a capacity of 1.55 million tonnes and will be mechanically completed by November 2012. A 2.5-million-tonne storage at Padur, near Mangalore, will be completed by December 2012.

“Given the volatility in crude prices, the storage terminals are intended as a buffer for the economy. This should ideally be done when oil prices were at their lows,” D. K. Joshi, principal economist with rating agency Crisil, said.

The US, Japan and China buy and store oil when prices are low and release them to refiners when there is a spike in global rates.

Source

[engineer.akash]

New refinery being set up with capex of Rs 15,000cr: MRPL

Video : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/8744182.cms

MRPL set commissioning target to Jan 2012

The project as on August 15 has achieved overall progress of 86.2% as against scheduled target of 97.4% and need to commission the same before March 2012 to avail tax benefits.

MRPL mulls terminal at Mangalore to import natural gas

Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), a subsidiary of ONGC plans to set up an LNG terminal in Mangalore. It will import natural gas for its steel, refinery and petrochemical business.
The government has been giving priority to power and fertiliser companies. So, MRPL which is a significant player in refinery and petrochemical sector has decided to meet natural gas shortage on its own.

Sources told NDTV that ONGC's subsidiary MRPL has revived its plan to set up a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Mangalore.

Initially, MRPL plans to build a 5 million tonne LNG terminal with option of expanding the capacity to 10 million tonne.

Experts believe initially the investment would be Rs. 3,000-4,000 crore. Sources say MRPL LNG terminal plan is triggered by growing gas demand, including ONGC-Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited and Mangalore Chemical and Fertiliser Ltd.

NDTV also learns that the reason for MRPL to revive its plan for LNG terminal is its differences with PSU gas transporter GAIL, which has been firm on preconditions like cash security and bank guarantee, even for small quantity of gas.

When contacted, MRPL MD, UK Basu said, “We are still talking to GAIL for present gas supplies, but in future enough demand is there for setting up an LNG terminal. Demand from SEZ [ONGC] and MCFL would be high. We can import gas on spot basis or also look for other long term supplies.”

MRPL's decision to set up LNG terminal may have business sense, but everything depends on approvals by the government. And historically, government has not favoured its PSUs and their subsidiaries for diversifying into new, non-core business.

Read more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/mrp...-gas-151386?cp


Video : http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/new...erminal/197787

[mangalore mania]

The Sewage treatment plant at Kavoor in Mangalore.
If you expected that the State government's denotification 1,998 acres of land to be acquired for Phase II of Mangalore Special Economic Zone Project will reduce quantity of water required for industries under the project to a great extent, you will be disappointed.

According to Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Public Relations Officer, Mangalore Special Economic Zone Ltd., total water required for the project, including phase I and phase II has been estimated at 45 MGD (million gallon a day). Of that 37 MGD is specifically required for phase I which is under progress. National Environment Engineering Institute, which conducted environment impact assessment study of the MSEZ in 2007-08, made the estimation, he says.

Mr. Bhandarkar says: “Phase I of the project is sector-specific for petrochemical industries which are typically water intensive industries. Hence the bulk of water demand pertains to Phase I.”

He says the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest in April 2008 approved the company to source 37 MGD of water for Phase I. Going by this, the post denotification demand for water by the project as a whole will come down by only about eight MGD.

He says that water demand (37 MGD) for Phase I is proposed to be met by building two barrages each across the Netravathi and the Gurupur, and treated water from three sewage treatment plants (STPs) of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC). He says the State Water Resources Department in 2007 had allowed the company to lift 15 MGD of water during 90 summer days from the two rivers. As there will be enough water in the rivers during non-summer months, sourcing 15 MGD of water will not be an issue.

Mr. Bhandarkar says 18 MGD of treated water can be sourced from three STPs – at Kavoor, Bajal (Jeppinamogaru), and Surathkal – of MCC. He says MSEZL and the MCC will form a company for the operation and maintenance of three STPs.

K.T. Maninarayana, Superintendent Engineer, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), Mangalore (who is in-charge for constructing STPs), says the three STPs, respectively, have the processing capacity of 9.6 MGD, 4.4 MGD, and 3.6 MGD water – a total of 17.6 MGD of water.

He says the STP at Kavoor has been completed while the rest will be completed by this December end.

Meanwhile, a September 17, 2007 order of the State Water Resources Department, a copy of which is with The Hindu , has permitted the MSEZ Ltd. to lift 15 MGD water (by constructing four barrages) from the two rivers up to five years from the date of the order.

According to it, the permission to lift water will expire in September 2012.

Mr. Bhandarkar says the company will apply for the renewal of the permission.

[mangalore mania]

Some activists and people of villages fear attempts from backdoor to acquire land that was denotified for the second phase of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) amid rumours that private players want to purchase the land.

The opinion among village people, however, is divided on whether private purchase of land is possible. A farmer from Permude village Joseph D' Cunha says he has heard such rumours. He says people will not sell their land for Rs. 8,000 a cent, which is the rate at which the MSEZ acquired land for Phase I through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board. He dismisses the rumours . He adds “But if people want to sell their land, they have a right to do so. In any case, 30 per cent of farmers are willing to give their land. If a company has to come up, it will need the consent of the majority, which is not there.” Other farmers echo his remarks and like him they do not know more than hearsay. However, the Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti, which is fighting against the acquisition of land, is not taking any chances. Samiti president Madhukar Amin says people are still looking for ways to make the MSEZ come up in Mangalore, but no news of private purchase of land reached him.

Yekkar panchayat president Raghu K. says they suspect that private players may try to buy land in villages. He says he will write to the Deputy Commissioner requesting that any project proposed in the area should get permission from the gram panchayat.

Activist Vidya Dinker says it is possible that the land can be acquired in the name of another industry and later handed over to the MSEZ.

[mangalore mania]

Proponents say Mangalore has lost a golden opportunity in terms of development

Has Mangalore lost something in the recent denotification of about 2,000 acres of land to be acquired for the second phase of Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ)? The lands were denotified following a public outcry backed by some elected representatives and spiritual leaders.

The opinions of proponents and opponents of the project are sharply divided. The proponents of the project says the MSEZ when fully operational will create 15,000 to 1.25 lakh jobs directly and propel the growth of the region. The opponents say job creation is a myth used to promote the project which, in fact, would cost Mangaloreans dearly by straining the natural resources such as water and destroying the native Tulu culture.

Proponents

MSEZ Limited Board of Directors member and former Kanara Chamber of Commerce (KCCI) president Srinivas Kamath says competitive Mangaloreans can get some 25,000 to 30,000 jobs in MSEZ. That is if the proposed pharmaceutical, garment, and automobile units came up in the expanded project.

Exports from SEZ can touch Rs. 13,500 crore a year when fully operational. The potential of phase I – mainly the expansion of the Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. – can hardly be harnessed unless the phase II materialised, he says. He says the project could still come through. He says owners of about 1,000 acres of land were still willing to give their lands.

Immediate past president G.G. Mohandas Prabhu says the project can result in annual business of over Rs. 10,000 crore for the ancillary units outside SEZ and the service industries such as hotels, transport, and tourism sector. The project is expected to act as the “growth engine” for the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, he says. “Every sector will benefit,” he says. With ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) doing “great job,” 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the jobs in MSEZ can go to local candidates. MSEZL public relations officer Ramachandra Bhandarkar, quoting a “reputed financial organisation”, says the SEZ can generate 1.3 lakh jobs directly and 1.9 lakh indirect jobs.

Myth

Guruvayanakere-based Nagarika Seva Trust president Somanath Nayak says the promised number of jobs will not be created in projects such as the thermal power plant near Udupi and says companies play the employment card to project the proposals as being socially acceptable.

He says Mangalore will lose nothing if the MSEZ phase did not materialise. Instead, it will augur well for the region because studies have shown that the coastal area with Western Ghats is not suitable for large-scale industrialisation as they will be a strain on the natural resources, which need to be protected.

Mr. Nayak says energy expert D.K. Subramanian of Indian Institute of Science, who prepared the framework for a study of the region to see whether resources here can sustain more industries, has recommended proper, planned development ensuring preservation of the natural resources.

He says three more official reports too have stressed on the sustainable development of the region and the latest is a two-year-old report of the Environment Department, titled, Parisara Paristhithi , which too was against large-scale industries in the region.

Mr. Nayak and Natesh Ullal, activist representing the farmers fighting against the MSEZ, see the MSEZ as a part of the larger plan of the governments to establish a petrochemical hub acquiring 75,000 acres of the region. This scale of land acquisition will destroy the Tulu culture which has no other geographical location to blossom, Mr. Ullal says. The de-notification should be seen as an opportunity to develop a sustainable development alternative, he says. It has to be truly inclusive and transparent.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2428508.ece

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Renuka Phadnis
There are different shades of opinion within the industry to the challenge of land acquisition for the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) following the government's decision to de-notify lands to be acquired for its second phase.

The official view at MSEZ Ltd. is that there was no obstacle to the MSEZ and that work was progressing. Another view was that of the region's chamber of commerce and industry, which thought that the project could not take off till all the stakeholders, including people, see it as a win-win game. A third opinion was that either people should accept the situation or the policy should be modified for a smaller area SEZ, with industry finding a work-around.

Ramachandra Bhandarkar, spokesperson, MSEZ, said: “Just a handful of people, NGOs, and vested interests have begun a movement in which learned quarters of industry see no hindrance. We don't see it as opposition at all. MRPL work is going on and OMPL (ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd.) project is 60 per cent complete.”

Lata Kini, president, Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said: “Industry wants a win-win situation. Now that the land has been denotified, whoever wants to part with land can do so. The problem is whether it is any use giving parts of land. If there is no continuity in the land, there is no point.”

When the SEZ was originally mooted (when the KCCI started it), it was a general purpose SEZ not just for petrochemicals. Then, in the early 2000, when the SEZ policy was framed, the government policy said that 2,500 acres of land was a prerequisite for setting up a multi-product SEZ (this is other than one-third of the area earmarked for greenbelt and general infrastructure such as roads and sewage lines). “That is when the acquisition issue began. We didn't ask for 2,500 acres, it is not from the Chamber. It was a Union government policy,” said Ms. Kini.

All stakeholders should agree if the MSEZ had to click. “If government is happy, people are happy, then industry (MSEZ) can begin. Otherwise, it cannot happen. There must be a conducive atmosphere,” she said.

It is certainly a setback to the exchequer as the revenue from the district was lost and in terms of employment, said Ms. Kini. The district could have been showcased as an industry hub. One of the grouses of those who oppose it was that employment had been assured and still remained an assurance. Until now, the MSEZ has had only the petrochemical industry, which requires highly skilled manpower that was recruited at an all-India basis. If we had been able to create a multi product SEZ, that would have created immense opportunity for the service sector and ancillary units. That was how it was thought of, originally, as a multi-product SEZ instead of a sector-specific SEZ, she said.

Giridhar Prabhu, proprietor, Achal Industries, and former president of KCCI, said: “Per se, the MSEZ second phase has not lost its scope. All parties should come to an amicable settlement on making available 2,000 acres of land so that it is good enough to make it a multipurpose SEZ.”

Another perspective of the issue on land acquisition was that either those who oppose the land acquisition reconcile themselves to the situation or that the State and Union government accept that the land available was not sufficient.

Mr. Prabhu said since the land for the MSEZ requires continuity, the party (citizens, or whoever started the ‘social veto') should reach a compromise so that the minimum needs for land of the SEZ were met.

Otherwise, the State government and the Centre should come to an understanding that they had to make an exception on the land size area. It was up to the MSEZ Ltd to make it viable.

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

The acquisition of land in villages in Bantwal taluk by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board should be immediately stopped, members of the Movement for Enforcement of Constitutional Rights and Values said here on Tuesday.

Ahinda working president and member of the movement Lolaksha told presspersons here that the KIADB had decided to acquire about 200 acres of land at Kurnadu, Balepuni, and Kairangala villages.

The preliminary notification had been issued.

He demanded that the government should immediately stop the process of acquisition.

Mr. Lolaksha said that already hundreds of acres of land had been acquired in the district but had not been used for several years. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha district unit president Rohitaksha Rai said the land meant for Suzlon Special Economic Zone in Padubidri was notified in 1990 but had been acquired in 2009.

The KIADB should not act as an agent to facilitate land availability for private companies.

The Hindi