Days after renaming Ennore Port Limited as Kamarajar Port Ltd, Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan on Sunday unveiled a nine-foot bronze statue of the former Chief Minister at the administrative office complex of the port at Vallur.
Speaking at the function, he described Mr. Kamarajar as a visionary who had laid the foundation stone for the growth of the State’s economy about 50 years ago. He was instrumental in starting mid-day meal schemes in schools, establishing primary schools in every village, providing free school uniforms, linking villages with roads, constructing several dams and canals for boosting drinking water supply and agricultural production and bringing Neyveli Lignite Corporation, BHEL and railway coach factory among others in the State. “It is a fitting tribute to name the youngest and fastest growing Ennore Port after the kingmaker and freedom fighter. KPL will occupy one of the top slots among the Indian ports and a prominent place among global ports,” Mr. Vasan said.
The occasion was marked by distribution of notebooks, geometry box and a book on Kamarajar to 60 schoolchildren. The port’s website was also renamed as Kamarajar Port.
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Mr. Vasan announced a 20 per cent hike in daily wages for 120 women from April 1 onwards from Rs.125 to Rs.150. They are being employed by KPL and some of them have been working for more than 10 years.
KPL Chairman cum Managing Director M.A. Bhaskarachar said with the awarding of new projects, the port’s total annual capacity would increase from 30 million tonnes to 68 million tonnes. On Saturday, the port took possession of 647 acres of land from the Salt department to meet its future expansion plans.
In the last two weeks, KPL awarded the container terminal project to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and a multi-cargo terminal project to Chettinad Builders and South India Corporation Ltd. Both have agreed to offer a revenue share of 37 per cent and 36 per cent to the port.
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