Land available in Mandya district for ARAI facility: M B Patil writes to Union Minister Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday said that 100 acres of land in Mandya district is available for the proposed country’s first Construction and Infrastructure Equipment Testing Facility, estimated to cost Rs 500 crore.
Patil has written to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy, seeking directions for the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to submit a detailed project proposal, his office said in a release.
In a reply on Monday to a letter from Kumaraswamy dated January 8, Patil said the District Commissioner of Mandya has confirmed that 105 acres of government land is available in Muddanaghatta and Heggadithihalli villages of Basaralu Hobli in Mandya taluk.
He added that the land is located just 500 metres from the Mandya–Nagamangala State Highway and exceeds the area originally sought for the facility.
The Minister for Large and Medium Industries urged that representatives of ARAI and officials from the Union Ministry be directed to visit Karnataka at the earliest for a joint inspection to assess the site’s suitability.
"If found suitable, the land could then be allotted for the establishment of the facility," he said.
He also stated that ARAI may directly coordinate with S Selvakumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Industries, Government of Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy is a Member of Parliament from Mandya.
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In biggest haul, drugs worth Rs 51 cr seized in Meghalaya, 2 held
Shillong (PTI): The Meghalaya Police seized drugs worth over Rs 51 crore, the biggest haul of narcotics in the state so far, in East Jaintia Hills district and arrested two Mizoram-based persons in this connection, a senior officer said on Saturday.
The seizure was made during a coordinated naka-checking conducted by the police and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) personnel in the Ratacherra area on Friday, he said.
During the operation, a vehicle with three persons, including the driver, on board was intercepted and searched in accordance with due legal procedures.
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Upon checking, 19 plastic soap cases, containing suspected heroin weighing 203.7 grams, were recovered from the possession of one of the three persons, the officer said.
The search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a blue-coloured trolley bag belonging to another occupant of the vehicle.
Suspected crystal meth (methamphetamine) tablets weighing 10.145 kilograms were found in the bag, the police officer said.
'Meth' tablets are banned in India.
Two of the three occupants of the vehicle were arrested, and a preliminary investigation suggested that they are part of an interstate and cross-border drug trafficking syndicate, the officer said.
"The total value of the seized contraband is estimated to be around Rs 51.13 crore", ANTF chief Vikash Kumar told PTI.
The arrested persons hail from Mizoram, he said.
A case has been registered at the ANTF police station, and an investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages related to the seizure, the officer added.
