Milestone of India - Goa Shipyard chalks out infrastructure modernisation plan. (Goa - India.)

PANAJI: Faced with paucity of sufficient land at its disposal, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Goa-based Defence shipyard, has approached the State Government seeking additional land for its ambitious infrastructure modernisation projects estimated to cost Rs.800 crore to be implemented in four phases.

The public sector undertaking, set up in the port city of Vasco in south Goa in 1957, is looking forward to enhancing the shipbuilding capacity by nearly three times in the immediate future once it completes the modernisation project.

Chairman and Managing Director of GSL RAdm. Vineet Bakhshi told presspersons at a press conference here on Monday that the first two phases of the project costing Rs.400 crore were “under an advanced stage of implementation” and were expected to be completed later this year. R. Choudhary, Director, Operations and S. A. Jegaraj, Chief General Manager, were also present.

Mr. Bakhshi said that GSL had approached the Goa Industrial Development Corporation, the State industry promotion body, seeking additional land. He said if it failed to get land adjacent to its present shipyard in Vasco, which is congested, then GSL would have to move out to some of its facilities inshore.

“On the completion of the ongoing phases, we will be the first shipbuilding yard in the country to be equipped with a modern ship-lift facility for launching and docking of ships,” said Mr. Bakhshi.

Work on the remaining two phases for creating infrastructure for Mine Counter Measure Vessel (MCMV) project of Indian Navy is expected to be finalised in tandem with the finalisation of MCMV project by the Navy. That apart, for an upcoming shore-based training facility project at the INS Hansa, Goa, GSL is the main integrator for the facility developed in association with the Aeronautical Development Agency, Bangalore.

GSL is also examining the possibility of a long-term relationship with the Indian Coast Guard for maintenance and repairs of its vessels. In addition, it is looking at the possibility of establishing its presence in the Middle East for repairs and construction of ships, said the CMD. GSL is making efforts to secure an export order from a prominent Middle East country. Apart from Gulf countries, GSL has a growing export market in Africa and Southeast Asia. The company is also looking at export markets for its entire range of products such as the damage control simulator, fast interceptor craft, patrol vessels and offshore patrol vessels.

GSL achieved a record value of production of Rs.866 crore and returned a net profit of Rs.131 crore for 2009-10 against Rs.508 crore and Rs.82 crore, respectively in the previous year.

Milestone of India - NTPC signs MoU with Bangladesh Power.

NEW DELHI: NTPC on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to set up thermal power projects of 1,320 MW in the neighbouring country. The outlay on the coal-fired power plants to be set up at Chittagong and Khulna is estimated at Rs.13,200 crore. The plants are likely to be installed on a 50:50 equity basis.

NTPC will provide training and development to human resources of BPDB and enhancement of productivity and efficiency of the latter's existing power stations. The entire projects are subject to techno-economic viability.

The MoU was signed by BPDP Chief Engineer (Generation) Mohammed Abdul Quasem and NTPC Consultancy Wing General Manager A. K. Sharma in the presence of Bangladesh's High Commission Tariq A. Karim, Power Secretary P. Uma Shankar and NTPC Chairman R. S. Sharma. Meanwhile, NTPC is indicated that it is planning to pick up stake in two coal mines in Indonesia.

“We are looking at picking up stake in two coal mines in Indonesia — East Kalimanthan and Sumatra — Mr. Sharma told reporters.

The company's coal requirement is likely touch 165 million tonnes in 2011-12, of which it may import 12-15 million tonnes. “we are now using 155 million tonnes of coal. Our requirement is likely to go up 165 million tonnes and NTPC is likely to import 12-15 million tonnes in the next fiscal,'' he added.

NTPC is also looking at directly importing about 60 per cent of its coal requirement of about 15 million tonnes in the next fiscal, instead of sourcing the same from the State Trade Corporation and MMTC. “To import fuel (coal) directly, we have established a fuel import cell and the tender for the same will be floated soon,'' he said.

He said NTPC was looking at acquiring coal blocks in Queensland and North South Wales, Australia, and had identified 2-3 such properties.

Milestone of India - NTPC offers stake to Qatar Petroleum.

NEW DELHI: State-run NTPC Limited (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation) disclosed on Monday that it had offered up to 49 per cent stake to Qatar Petroleum in the Kayamkulam power project.

Talking to reporters here, NTPC Chairman and Managing Director R.S. Sharma said the move was aimed at securing fuel supply for the power plant. ‘‘We have offered Qatar Petroleum less than 50 per cent stake in our Kayamkulam gas-based power station in Kerala,'' he said.

The current capacity of the Kayamkulam plant is 350 MW, which NTPC is planning to expand to 1,050 MW in the next two years and further to 1,800 MW.

The company may form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the last-stage expansion, in which it would offer stake to Qatar Petroleum. NTPC is keen to get Qatar in the Kayamkulam project, as the Gulf nation would help in return by bringing gas for the plant.

With uncertainty over gas from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) KG Basin, the deal with Qatar Petroleum would give some stability to India's largest power producer.

NTPC plans to become a 75,000-MW company by 2017, and to achieve the target, the company needs to have assured supply of fuel, both coal and gas.

The company generates about 4,000 MW of electricity from its seven gas-based plants and 1,940 MW from the Ratanagiri plant, a joint venture with GAIL (India) Ltd. and the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. The company is planning a mega expansion of 6,000 MW for its functional gas-based stations at Kawas and Gandhar (Gujarat), Auraiya and Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and Kayamkulam in Kerala.

For the capacity addition of this magnitude, the company requires 30 million standard cubic metres of gas per day (mmscmd).

One mmscmd is needed for firing a 200-MW gas-based power project.

Milestone of India - Indians, a peace-loving community: Prince of Arcot. (Tamilnadu - India.

CHENNAI: A four-day cultural and archaeological exhibition titled ‘Enchanting Krishna' was inaugurated here on Monday.

Speaking after the inauguration, Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali said all religions preached tolerance and brotherhood. Indians were a peace-loving community and the Muslims in India were happy unlike their brethren in neighbouring countries, he said.

Harmonious life

His ancestors lived a harmonious life with members of other community. This was evident by their generous donation of large areas of lands for constructing more than 300 temples in southern India as well as educational institutions by Christian missionaries.

One should live to the ideals of Bhagavat Gita, which was given to the humanity by Lord Krishna, said Rev. Fr. B. Jeyaraj, S.J., Principal, Loyola College. Whatever was required for human beings had been mentioned in the Gita, he said.

T.K.V. Rajan, Editor, The Indian Science Monitor, who organised the exhibition, said several principles preached in the Gita were prescribed as a subject in modern day business management studies.

The objective of the exhibition was to correlate Harappan sites with that of Mahabharata sites in the country.

Milestone of India - Vineet Jain elected PTI Chairman.

New Delhi: Vineet Jain, Managing Director of the Times of India Group, was on Monday elected Chairman of the board of directors of the Press Trust of India (PTI).

M.P. Veerendrakumar, Chairman and Managing Director of the Mathrubhumi Group, was elected Vice-Chairman at the 62nd annual general meeting of the PTI's shareholders here.

Mr. Jain, who was Vice-Chairman, succeeds Vijay Kumar Chopra, Editor of the Punjab Kesari Group. Mr. Jain has played a key role in the growth of The Times of India and other publications of Bennett Coleman and Company, and is credited with its successful forays into online, radio and television services. He was PTI Chairman in 2002-2003.

Mr. Veerendrakumar was formerly a Member of Parliament and Union Minister. A past President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), he is associated with media-related bodies in India and abroad.

Besides Mr. Jain and Mr. Veerendrakumar, the members of the board are Vijay Kumar Chopra ( Hind Samachar), N. Ravi ( The Hindu), R. Lakshmipathy ( Dinamalar), Aveek Kumar Sarkar ( Ananda Bazar Patrika), Shekhar Gupta ( Indian Express), K.N. Shanth Kumar ( Deccan Herald), Mahendra Mohan Gupta ( Jagran Prakashan), Hormusji N. Cama ( Bombay Samachar), Riyad Mathew ( Malayala Manorama) and Sanjoy Narayan ( Hindustan Times). The Directors from outside the newspaper industry are Professor E.V. Chitnis, Justice S.P. Bharucha and Fali S. Nariman.

Addressing shareholders, Mr. Chopra commended PTI's news and photo services for their dominant impact. During the last financial year, PTI had achieved its highest-ever revenue and continued to make profits, he said.

PTI was gearing to cover the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. It had invested substantially in upgrading equipment for the purpose, he said. An advanced graphics service launched recently had evoked encouraging response from newspaper-clients. The board had approved an audio news clip service and a feed for mobile phones. PTI

Milestone of India - Fifteen honoured with Ekalavya Award (Karnataka - India.)

BANGALORE: Governor H.R. Bhardwaj on Sunday presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to two sportspersons and Ekalavya Award to 15 sportspersons for 2009.

Speaking after presenting the awards, the Governor hoped that sportspersons from Karnataka would excel in the upcoming Commonwealth Games as well as other international sports events with the support being given by the Department of Youth Services and Sports. He urged women to participate in large numbers in sports events.

Youth Service and Sports Minister Goolihatti D. Shekhar listed out various programmes of the department and facilities being provided to sportspersons.

Every taluk and district headquarters will get stadia, the Minister said.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Irom Deban Singh (fencing) from Bangalore and M.N. Triveni (judo) from Belgaum.

Ekalavya Award was presented to Kaushal Ravi Kumar (basketball) from Bangalore; M.S. Tejkumar (chess) from Mysore; Savita N. Goudar (cycling) from Jamkhandi; Arun Maribashetty (equestrian) from Mysore; N. Bindu (fencing) from Bangalore; V.R. Raghunath (hockey) from Hathur in Kodagu; L. Jayanthi (kabaddi) from Bangalore; M. Srinivasa (kho kho) from Davangere; Shobha (power lifting) from Mangalore; Aaron D. Souza (swimming) from Bangalore; Madhavi Giri (swimming) from Bangalore; Somanath S. Girigoud (volleyball) from Belgaum; Smitha B. Patil (wrestling) from Kangrali in Belgaum; Laisramgyana Laxmidevi (weight lifting) from Bangalore and Raghavendra Ratnakar Anavekar (swimming) from Belgaum.

Karnataka Olympic Association Chairman K. Govindaraj, Principal Secretary, Youth Services and Sports Department, I.R. Perumal and department Director Shivananjaiah were present.

Milestone of India - Velankanni Feast begins. (Tamilnadu - India.)

NAGAPATTINAM: The 11-day annual feast of Our Lady of Health, popularly called ‘Annai Velankanni Matha' and the ‘Lourdes of the East', began at the Shrine Basilica in Velankanni on Sunday evening with a huge procession and hoisting of the holy flag by Most Rev.M.Devadass Ambrose, Bishop of Thanjavur.

Pilgrims from various parts of the country witnessed the flag hoisting ceremony that was attended among others by Collector, C.Munianathan; R.Thirugnanam, DIG of Police, Thanjavur; Santosh Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Nagapattinam and A.K.S.Vijayan, MP of Nagapattinam and other dignitaries.

The illuminated and colourful chariot procession carrying the idol of Our Lady of Health would be held at 8 p.m. on September 7 and the birthday of Blessed Virgin Mary and lowering of the holy flag would be celebrated on the last day on September 8.