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Tatas acquiring land in Tuticorin for titanium dioxide project

CHENNAI: The Tatas have entered into agreements with the people of seven villages in Tuticorin to buy their land for setting up the titanium dioxide plant, Industries Secretary Sakthikanta Das said here on Friday.

“They have got a good extent of land,” he said, adding he would not be able to reveal the extent of land bought.

Mr. Das said the draft report of the committee that went to the villages to enquire about how the people were disposed towards the scheme was being finalised.

“Anyone who was there could sense that as much as 70 to 75 per cent of the people wanted the project to come up,” he said, in response to a question.

The Tatas have formed local teams and are negotiating directly with the people, he said. Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy said the land purchase was being handled by the Tatas directly. The Government was not involved.

Asked about the progress on importing cement to stabilise prices, he said global tenders had been floated and the process of awarding the contract for supply was likely to be completed by mid-October.

Mr. Tripathy said Arasu Cable TV Corporation would commence operations once clearances were obtained. He assured cable television operators that the Government did not intend to replace them. The Corporation would function like a Multi-System Operator.

Asked if the Corporation would also launch a Direct-To-Home platform, Mr. Tripathy said: “We reserve that option. We are open to all technologies including IPTV. We may consider that also. Right now we are comfortable with this [being an MSO].”

Evacuation of power from windmills will not be a problem from the next season, Finance Secretary K. Gnanadesikan said. Electricity Board Chairman Hans Raj Varma had met representatives of the windmills association and efforts were on to set up substations near areas with a large concentration of windmills.

This process will be over before the start of the season next year.

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