the goan I network
PANAJI
As many as eight Goa-based industrial units consume coal for the manufacture of Iron and Steel within the State, but that figure is pale in comparison with the 17 steel and cement units that consume coal imported through Mormugao Port Trust.
Data released as part of a written reply to a question in the Goa Legislative Assembly by Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemão have revealed that -- Goa Carbon, Goa Sponge, Shraddha Ispat, Ambey Metallic, Shritik Ispat, Prateek Alloys, Kshirija Ispat and Vedanta Ltd (Sesa Goa) all import coal through Berth No. 7 operated by Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt Ltd.
Also importing coal through Berth No. 7 operated by Adani, are 17 companies based in Karnataka viz. Kalburgi Cement, BMM Ispat, Sandur Manganese, GNRE, West Coast Paper Mills, Ultratech Cement, Grasim Industries, Indian Cane Power Ltd; M S Metal, Mukand Ltd. Gunji, 7 H, Dhruvdesh Metasteel, ILC Industries, Harekrishna, J K Cement and Riddhi Siddi most of which are located in Karnataka.
Besides imports through Berth No 7, Sesa Goa also imports coal directly through MPT at a mooring dolphin (offshore platform) which is operated directly by MPT.
And finally, the largest importer is South West Port Ltd, an arm of JSW Steel which operates berth No. 6A solely for import of coal for its own consumption at its plants in North Karnataka.
According to the information supplied by the Chief Minister, Berth No. 7 operated by Adani imported 7.06-lakh metric tons of coal during the financial year 2016-17 of which 3.62 lakh metric tons of coal was shipped to the consuming factories through road while 4.60 lakh metric tons was shipped by rail. None of the coal imported by Adani was shipped by barges.
During the financial year 2016-17 SWPL handled 10.11 million metric tons of coal of which 11.35 metric tons of coal all of which plus more was shipped out by rail. During the same period MPT handled 3.82 lakh tons of coal at its mooring dolphin all of which was shipped by barges to Sesa Goa's iron and steel plants within Goa.
Between April and November this year SWPL has imported 5.29 million metric tons of coal while 7.33 metric tons of coal was shipped out through coal. In other words, they shipped more coal by rail than they imported. With the difference of around 2 million metric tons of coal.
During the same period, Adani imported coal to the tune of 7.05 lakh metric tons of coal of which 3.61 lakh metric tons of coal was shipped to buyers by road while 4.60 tons are shipped by rail to different buyers. Sesa Goa too imported 4.84 lakh metric tons of coal via MPT's mooring dolphin all of which was transported by barges.
Margao bus stand to be developed as bus port: Sudin
the goan I networkPANAJIPWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Thursday informed the State Legislative Assembly that Margao bus stand would be soon developed as a bus port under a Central scheme. He was responding to Margao MLA Digambar Kamat who questioned about why the project to develop Margao bus stand was not being taken up by KTC. "In all, an area of over 66,000 square metres was acquired by KTC. Every day one lakh commuters and 600 buses pass through this bus stand. Why…
