Aditya Birla [Gulbarga] Group plans Rs 2,000-cr cement plant in Karnataka

Source: The Hindu

 

The Aditya Birla Group will invest Rs 2,000 cr in a 4 million tonne cement plant at Malkhed (in Gulbarga district), said the group's Chairman, Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, at the Global Investors Meet in Bangalore on Thursday.

The Group also plans to expand its aluminium plant in Belgaum from 2,000 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes at Rs 700 crore.

Karnataka approves Rs 1,000-cr investments in logistics - One in Hubli

Source: The Hindu

Bangalore, May 31: 

Ahead of the Global Investors Meet (GIM), the Karnataka Government has cleared investments in logistics and warehouses to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore.

Also on its own, the government plans to build four Logistics Parks with a total investment of Rs 1,800 crore through private partnership route.

To facilitate development across the state, the Infrastructure Development Department has initiated moves to build Logistics Parks in Bangalore, Hassan and Hubli on public-private partnership (PPP) mode. According to a senior Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) official, the government is looking for an integrated approach by providing multi-modal/integrated logistics transport centre, warehouses, inland container depots, domestic rail head, and air cargo centres.

invites registration of interests

Logistics Parks are to come up at Harohalli Industrial Area in Bangalore with an investment of Rs 500 crore, Dabbaspet (Rs 600 crore), Hassan (Rs 350 crore) and Hubli (Rs 350 crore).

The department has invited registration of interests (RoI) from global, national companies and is open to joint ventures and consortia for development of logistics parks.

An industries department official said the projects cleared recently are Vikram Logistics and Maritime Services which is investing Rs 342.59 crore to set up logistics services at Maranaikanahally and Samanduru villages in Anekal.

The project is to come up on 120 acres of land owned by one of the directors of the company.

It is likely to give employment to 675 people. Property developer Gopalan Enterprises is to build a warehouse at Cheelur village Maralvadi hobli in Kanakapura with an investment of Rs 188 crore and offer employment to 5,000 people.

The promoters of the project have sought 104.06 acres of land.

The government has instructed project proponent to obtain consent to an extent of 70 per cent from the land owners for further assistance.

The Gurgaon-based Siddhivinayaka Farm Fresh is to set up a muti-commodity agri-cold chain network and logistic hub at Vishwanathapura near Devanahalli. The project is to come up on 11 acres on a private land at an investment of Rs 160.66 crore.

Magna Warehousing and Distribution Private Ltd with an investment of Rs 381 crore to develop spaces and infrastructure for IT offices, hotel rooms, meeting spaces and convention, shopping including food courts, restaurants, cinema, departmental stores to complement with the location at EPIP industrial areas at Hoodi Village next to Sri Sathya Sai Hospital at Whitefield.

Deccan Exploration discovers additional gold resources in Haveri district

Source: The Hindu

Bangalore May 8: 

Deccan Exploration Services Private Ltd (DESPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Deccan Gold Mines Ltd, has discovered additional gold resources at its main Ganajur project in Haveri, Karnataka.

Ganajur-Karajgi areas

The company, in a release to stock exchanges, said traces of additional gold resources have been found at Karajgi Main prospect, Ganajur Main deposit and at Ganajur south east prospect.

All the mining areas are in and around Ganajur-Karajgi villages of Haveri district in the north-west part of the Karnataka.

“In addition to the three prospects, there are also a number of other satellite prospects which fall within the granted PL block.

To continue drilling

“DGML will draw up a programme of continuing drilling in the satellite prospects which is very likely to add additional gold resources to the main project,” the company release said.

Six locations

DESPL recently completed a total of 1,262 m of core drilling in the Ganajur-Karajgi PL block spread over six locations which included three deep holes in the Ganajur main deposit; two holes at Karajgi main prospect and one in the Ganajur south east prospects. The results of the survey at Karajgi main prospects has confirmed the existence of high grade gold bearing zones in the prospect and also suggests the possibility of finding additional resources in the prospect subject to carrying out additional drilling.

Karajgi main is located one kilometre south east of Ganajur main prospects and is rated by DGML as one of the most important prospects in the PL block.

Surveys at Ganajur main had indicated the possibility of extension of the Ganajur main deposit below the existing 3,08,000 ozs of gold.

Detailed drilling

The drilling was successful in indicating the possibility of an extension.

Due to these encouraging results, DGML will take up a detailed drilling programme to define the gold bearing body that might exist below the currently known gold deposit.

Ganajur south east prospect is located around 1.2 km south east of Ganajur Main prospect.

Preliminary exploration by way of channel sampling, DTH drilling and 576 meters of RCD drilling has resulted in delineating a mineralised zone for a length of 455 meters.

Apart from this the recent geophysical IP survey has also indicated strong IP anomaly over this zone. The results indicate the possibility of increasing the over all resource in the PL block.

Karnataka to relocate Bellary zoo near Hampi

Source: DHNS

Karnataka will soon come up with a world-class zoo near heritage site Hampi by relocating the Bellary zoo, officials said.

The zoo in Bellary would be relocated to a new site, next to Hampi, in Kamalapura reserve forest in Hospet Taluk as conditions for animals and birds are not ideal there, Karnataka's Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests M N Jayakumar told PTI. "Government of India has already given its approval for this new zoo to be built with an investment of nearly Rs 70 crore and for which construction will begin very soon," said Jayakumar, who is also Member-Secretary of Zoo Authority of Karntaka. The new zoo with larger space for animals will be easily accessible for tourists coming to Hampi, he said.

[Belgaum] Karnataka seeks Rs 4329.40 crore central assistance

Source: Deccan Herald

The Karnataka Government today requested the Centre to extend Rs 4329.40 crore financial aid to transform Belgaum into the 'City of the Decade 2011-2021.'

"The project envisaged by the state proposes to provide citizens a safe and sustainable environment, with state-of-the-art infrastructure, service delivery, connectivity, and economic well-being, supported by an efficient governance framework," Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

To achieve the desired results in consonance with the Mission statement,the state government has prepared a detailed "City Development Strategy and Investment Plan for Belgaum City" , he said.

Total investments estimated for development infrastructure would be around Rs 4329.40 crore, he said and urged the Prime Minister to include the project in the ensuing budget as a special project.

Karnataka Government would be willing to bear 10 per cent of the cost as per Government of India guidelines, he said.

"I shall be thankful if you could kindly issue directions to the Union Urban Development Ministry to incorporate this project on priority to commemorate visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Belgaum City for the 39th Annual Session of the Congress and hope our request is considered favourably", he said.

The Karnataka Government is organising the second World Kannada literary conference in Belgaum next month.

Work on Dharwad-Goa road finally starts

Source: http://sify.com/finance/work-on-dharwad-goa-road-finally-starts-news-news-kliaO8dggea.html



It is official now. The road between Dharwad and Ramnagar that connects Karnataka to Goa and which has been in a very bad condition for decades is being converted into double-lane highway by the state government. On Sunday, public works minister C M Udasi performed the bhoomi pooja for the road construction work at Alnavar in the presence of rural development and panchayat raj minister Jagadeesh Shettar and MP Prahlad Joshi.
The state government has entrusted the works to the Karnataka Road Development Corporation which in turn has given the responsibility to Hyderabad-based GVR-RMN-Pratyusha Companies consortium named GVRMP Dharwad-Ramna-gar Tollway Private Limited. The 61.50 km stretch on the Aurad-Sadashivagad state highway No 34, which has made the journey for those travelling to Goa from Dharwad via Ramnagar a herculean task, will be re-laid for Rs237.60 crore. It will be on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) / viability gap funding (VGF) basis.
The nine-metre-wide road covers 29.9 km in Dharwad district and 31.50 km in Belgaum district before entering Goa. It will pass through three railway crossings, one bridge and 12 culverts. There will be two truck lay base, five under passes and two toll gates. The work is expected to be completed in two years. When completed, it will give a big boost to tourism, trade and commerce in Dharwad, Belgaum and Uttara Kannada districts.
The road has been in a bad shape for decades and any number of petitions and complaints to the authorities had failed to yield results. Those traveling to Goa were forced to take a route via Belgaum and Savantawadi, covering an additional distance of 80 km.
Kannadigas settled in Goa had repeatedly appealed to the legislators and ministers visiting Goa to get the road repaired, but to no avail.
Udasi, being the public works minister for second term, had failed to fulfill the demand. Successive governments had given up the road repair work after conducting ‘bhoomi pooja’, citing financial crunch. Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi and minister Jagadeesh Shettar’s efforts to get the road included in Central Road Fund during the regime of H D Revanna as public works minister had also not been fruitful.
Now it seems the road is set to be repaired with state government contributing 20 per cent of the cost while the Centre will contribute matching amount. The companies taking up the work on BoT basis will bear 60 per cent of the cost. Th e BoT is for a period of 30 years and the time frame for getting the road ready is two years.

[Bidar] Tourism department sanctions Rs. 3 crore

Bidar: The State Government will develop the historical Ali Barid garden and the scenic Papnash Temple at a cost of Rs. 3 crore.
“We will develop gardens, walkways and shelters in these places of tourist importance. We will also improve the approach roads to these places,” Deputy Commissioner Sameer Shukla told presspersons here on Tuesday.
Principal Secretary of Tourism K. Jothiramalingam, who visited these places recently, has promised that works at Ali Barid will get Rs. 2 crore and those at Papnash Temple will get Rs. 1 crore, he said.
The Tourism Department will also develop historical monuments at Choukhandi and Ashtur. The Government has already released Rs. 40 lakh for this purpose. The Barid Shahi garden will be beautified further. A fountain would be installed, footpath will be built and monuments will be electrified.
Mr. Shukla also said that the swimming pool at the Zilla Bal Bhavan will be completed soon. He said the indoor stadium that was being built at the cost of Rs. 4.57 crore near the Nehru Stadium would be completed in three to four months.
Work on the road linking the Ring Road to the Narsimha Zarni Temple would start soon. Work on the Chikpet-Aliabad-Naubad road had begun. The first phase will be completed soon, he said. Also, a road would be built between the Veterinary University and Humnabad main road, he added.

Coca-Cola to set up plant for beverages in Yadgir, Karnataka

Source: Hindu Business Line

With the South accounting for nearly 48 per cent of the India business, Coca-Cola is set to establish a manufacturing base in Karnataka with an outlay of about Rs 500 crore.
The company is in negotiations with the Karnataka Government for allotment of land in Yadgir district.
“The market for beverages is growing and Coca-Cola is poised to witness 20 per cent growth this year. Last few quarters also illustrate this growth pattern. Going by the market requirements and launch of more fruit-based drinks, we are in the process of finalising plans for a manufacturing base in Karnataka,” Mr Deepak Kaul, Vice-President (South), Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages, said.
Speaking to Business Line here, Mr Kaul said the investments would be spread out over a 3-5 year period. The new manufacturing base is planned for fruit-based drinks. The market for drinks served in PET bottles is set for a big surge and the plant aims to address that demand.
The company had launched a few value-added juices in the fruit segment such as mango fruit drink and plans a slew of launches. Coca-Cola had signed up with the Karnataka Government earlier this year expressing interest to set up a manufacturing base.
At present, Coca-Cola has 52 bottling plants, of which 25 are franchise-owned and rest are company-owned. The plant in Karnataka will be a company-owned one.
According to company officials, Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages currently has 24 manufacturing facilities in the country and nine of co-packers. The project will see initial investment of about Rs 250 crore at the newly-carved Yadgir district, in the industrial park earmarked by the Karnataka Government. The Government accorded permission last week, officials said.