The Hindu : 'Defence projects being considered for State'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

'Defence projects being considered for State'

Kochi Feb. 15. The Defence Ministry is considering setting up of Defence-related industrial projects in Kerala, said the Union Minister of State for Defence and Parliamentary Affairs, O. Rajagopal, here today.

Talking to presspersons, the Minister said he had already received some proposals for setting up Information Technology (IT) and computer-related units needed for the Defence Ministry. The feasibility of setting up these units was being studied, he added.

Mr. Rajagopal said constraints of land availability in the State had deprived it of many Defence-related projects, especially setting up of ordnance factories in the past. Though there were about 40 ordnance factories set up in various parts of the country during the last 50 years, not one had been set up in Kerala. However, the Centre was not in favour of setting up any more ordnance factories under the present policy, he added.

Asked if there was any proposal to take over the public sector Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), the largest ship building yard in the country, by the Defence Ministry for repairs of warships and submarines for which it was now depending largely on foreign shipyards, the Minister said the existing facilities at CSL were already being made use of by the Navy. The next aircraft carrier for the Navy would be built at the CSL, he added.

Naval academy

Mr. Rajagopal said the Ezhimala Naval Academy in Kannur district would be completed in about a year's time. The Defence Ministry had cleared the hurdles for the construction of the international container trans-shipment terminal at Vallarpadom. The Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, during his stay at Kumarakom earlier, had included the project in his `Kumarakom Package'.

Recently, he along with the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, had met the Prime Minister, who had also taken a favourable decision in this regard, Mr. Rajagopal said.

The Navy had raised some technical objections to the Vallarpadom terminal since the huge cranes to be installed at the terminal would cause problems for the Navy's planes in landing at the naval airport.

UNI & PTI

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