Adani Group acquires 97% stake in Kattupalli Port
New Delhi, June 28: Adani Ports on Thursday acquired 97 per cent stake in Marine Infrastructure Developer Pvt Ltd (MIDPL), the developer and operator of Kattupalli Port near Chennai.
Adani Ports, India's largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, said in a statement that it executed share purchase agreement with Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and MIDPL to acquire the stake.
Located 30 km towards north of Chennai, the Kattupalli Port is one of the most modern ports in the country which provides connectivity with hinterland of north Tamil Nadu, Chennai, the Bengaluru region and south Andhra Pradesh.
Karan Adani, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, said the Tamil Nadu government and the Commerce Ministry gave approvals for the acquisition in record time and his firm was committed to make Kattupalli port one of the largest ports in southern India.
"We are going to start our construction to diversify the cargo of the port and will be adding 40 MMT (million metric ton) of new capacity in next three years," he said.
The company said in a statement that it plans to transform the port into a multi commodity port to handle cargo like containers, automobiles, break bulk, general cargo, liquid cargo and project cargo.
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
