Hubli-Dharwad Road may be 4-lane one in three years

Hubli-Dharwad Road may be 4-lane one in three years

TNN, May 1, 2010, 09.09pm IST

HUBLI: If authorities have their way, then the much-anticipated four laning of Hubli-Dharwad Road may be a reality in three years' time. The state cabinet has approved a proposal on widening the 20-km road at a cost of Rs 155.40 crore.

The project comprises service roads, underpasses, footpaths and road-dividers. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the project, which was envisaged in the wake of increased traffic on the road connecting the twin cities.

Nod for four new power projects

Nod for four new power projects

Special Correspondent - Hindu

Bangalore: Karnataka, which has been facing a power shortage for the past two years, will have four new gas-based power projects along the route of the Dabhol-Bangalore gas pipeline being executed by Gas Authority of India Ltd.

The State Cabinet, which met here on Thursday, approved the projects, apart from a high-speed rail link to Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli and a monorail that will be connected to the Namma Metro rail network. The Metro network will be extended to new areas, including Kengeri on the western outskirts of Bangalore.

Location of plants

Briefing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions, Home Minister V.S. Acharya and Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar said three of the power projects — 700 MW each — would come up at Hukkeri in Belgaum district, Mundargi in Dharwad district and Harapanahalli in Davangere district in the private sector.

The fourth is the 2,000 MW gas-based project at Bidadi to be executed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. Each of these projects will require around 300 acres of land. Construction of the gas pipeline is expected to be completed by 2012.

Dr. Acharya said the Cabinet also approved the purchase of 700 MW of electricity on a short-term basis from cogeneration units (200 MW) and from Jindal Power (500 MW). While the cogeneration units will be paid Rs. 5 a unit, Jindal will be paid Rs. 6.50 a unit, and this short-term contract is valid until May 31. The State has been purchasing nearly 1,000 MW over the past two months to tide over the shortage. The high-speed rail link to the international airport from the Parade Ground on Mahatma Gandhi Road will be via Hebbal and Yelahanka.

The Cabinet also decided to stand guarantee for a Rs. 1,000-crore loan for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike meant mainly to widen some of the arterial roads. The Cabinet approved the upgrading of National Highway 4 between Hubli and Dharwad (20 km) at a cost of nearly Rs. 150 crore. The Union Government has granted Rs. 50 crore for this and has promised that another Rs. 50 crore will be provided. Tenders will be called shortly.

Other decisions

The following are the some of the other Cabinet decisions: only officers of the IAS and professors who have put in 10 years of service will be eligible for appointment as registrars of universities; nearly 1300 personnel to be recruited to the Department of Survey Settlement and Land Records; special duty allowance for police personnel serving in the Anti-Naxal Force; and 12.28 acres of land to be granted to the Indian Institute of Human Settlement in Kempe Gowda layout of the Bangalore Development Authority at a subsidised cost.

VRL Group plans foray into cement business

VRL Group plans foray into cement business

BUSINESS STANDARD Mahesh Kulkarni|2010-03-29 01:10:00

Hubli-based transport tycoon, Vijay Sankeshwar, who operates India’s largest road transport company, VRL Logistics Ltd, is foraying into cement manufacturing business. He has formed a new company, VRL Cements Ltd, with his son Anand Sankeshwar and other family members to set up the cement unit. The company has proposed to set up a 2 million tonne per annum greenfield cement plant for an investment of Rs 954 crore in north Karnataka.

"We have submitted a proposal to Karnataka government which is developing a cement zone in the Gulbarga and Bagalkot region. We have sought land from the state government. Once the project is approved by the high level clearance committee and the land is allotted, we will prepare a detailed project report for the path ahead," Vijay Sankeshwar, Chairman, VRL Group told Business Standard.

He said, to begin with, he along with his son, will put in the promoters’ equity contribution of Rs 100 crore to start the project. The balance funds will be raised from the market to set up the greenfield cement plant. VRL Cements has sought 300 acres from the state government in Badami taluk of Bagalkot district which has abundant reserves of limestone, a key raw material for the cement industry.

The company’s proposal is presently awaiting the nod from the high-level clearance committee. The cement facility is expected to create 180 jobs. As part of the project, VRL has also proposed to set up a 50 Mw coal-based captive power plant.

Sankeshwar said VRL Cements plans to manufacture cement clinkers, Portland cement, Portland slag cement, white cement among others. Initially, the company plans to market its products in Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala.

"The key requirement to succeed in the cement business is a good logistics network and we already have a vast network across the country. VRL is an extremely well known brand in the whole of south India and we will leverage the strength of our brand name to establish cement business," he said.

As regards sourcing of limestone, VRL Cements plans to form a joint venture with MML, a state-owned mining company, he said.

VRL Logistics is India’s largest road transport company, which operates 1,620 vehicles (232 buses and 1,388 trucks). The company, which reported a turnover of Rs 600 crore in 2008-09, is likely to end the present fiscal with a growth of 15 per cent.

Karnataka is the seventh largest producer of cement in the country. There are 16 cement plants in the state producing around 11 million tonnes per annum, which is about 6.5 per cent of India’s production.

The state has limestone deposits of about 17,253 million tons, about 22.5 per cent of India’s reserves.

The Karnataka government has approved 19 cement projects in the last three years with a total capacity of 44 million tonnes per annum, including those of Lafarge of Switzerland and Heidelberg from Germany. The state government expects to add at least 20 million tonnes of cement by the end of 2011.

Hero Honda to set up Rs 2,000 cr manufacturing plant in Karna

Hero Honda to set up Rs 2,000 cr manufacturing plant in Karna

28 Mar 2010, 1444 hrs IST, PTI

BANAGALORE: Karnataka government is alloting 500 acres near the northern district headquarters town of Dharwad to Hero Honda to set up a Rs 2,000 crore two wheeler manufacturing plant with annual capacity of one lakh units, Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani said.

"Hero Honda is coming.We are going to give them 500 acres near Hubli airport near Dharwad.They are investing Rs 2,000 crore. They need 1,000 skilled workers. It will have annual capacity to manufacture one lakh two-wheelers", he told PTI.

He also said he would hold second round of discussions with South Korean steel major Posco in Seoul in April first week regarding the company's plans to establish a six-million tonne annual capacity steel plant with an investment of Rs 32,000 crore in Karnataka.

Nirani said discussions would also be held with the TVS group in the next few days on the possibility of the latter putting up an engine manufacturing unit in the State.