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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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
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Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
