PM to Lay Foundation of JNPT's SEZ on 16th August

 

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation of a Port- Based Multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) at Sheva, Navi Mumbai on Saturday, August 16, 2014.

The proposed industrial infrastructure in 277 hectares with a total Public and Private investment of INR 4,000 Crore is planned as a Self-Sustainable Integrated Development Project having a potential of generating 1.5 lakh direct and indirect jobs.

The ambitious SEZ to be developed through JNPT-SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) under the Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) mode will be completed in three years.

With focus on the collaborating-upcoming sectors of India, the SEZ will develop Free Trade Warehousing Zone, Engineering Goods Sector, Electronics and Hardware Sectors, Non- Conventional Energy Sector, Multi Services (IT and Healthcare) Sectors and Apparel and Textiles Sectors.

Mr. Modi, who will arrive in Mumbai on a day’s visit to Maharashtra, will also lay the foundation of a Port Connectivity Highway Project at the JNPT and also allot land to JNPT Project Affected persons (PAPs) under the 12.5% scheme.

All these projects have been expedited by the Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Shipping & Rural Development, Mr. Nitin Gadkari in the last two months.

The Port Connectivity Highway Project with a Civil Cost is Rs.1926.570 Crores will be completed by December 2017. The Ministry of Shipping has decided to execute this Project on (Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) mode through the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The project has been undertaken under the National Highway Development & Port Connectivity Programme of the union government.

Due to the rapid development in the area on account of development of JN Port, JNPT-SEZ, and the proposed International Airport, etc. it was felt necessary to augment the carrying capacity of the existing road network to 6/8 lane configuration by providing improved facilities comprising of flyovers, railway over bridges, interchanges etc for uninterrupted flow of traffic plying on the road network connecting the Port and the National Highways.

Accordingly, it has been proposed to develop the road network to 6/8 lane configuration with service roads. The NH-4B, Amra Marg & SH-54 was developed to a four-lane facility by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) through the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) comprising of NHAI, JNPT & CIDCO.

Allotment of land under 12.5% scheme to Project Affected Persons (PAPs) of JNPT has been a long pending issue. This has resulted in a number of agitations in the past. Resolution of the dispute was essential for smooth operation and future development of JNPT.

The land owners, whose lands were acquired for JNPT, agitated for allotment of land under the 12.5% scheme as decided by the Government of Maharashtra in respect of land acquired by CIDCO for the Navi Mumbai Project.

A decision was taken to grant the benefit of 12.5% land allotment scheme on humanitarian grounds to the JNPT PAPs, though legally as per the Hon’ble Supreme Court order the Port was not liable to implement 12.5% scheme.