Sasi Nair  KP

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Rs. 4,000-crore port-based multi-product special economic zone at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) at Sheva, Navi Mumbai, on  August 16.

 

The proposed industrial infrastructure in 277 hectares with a total public and private investment of Rs.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 and construction (EPC) mode, will be completed in three years.

 

With a focus on the collaborating upcoming sectors of India, the SEZ will develop a free trade warehousing zone, the engineering goods sector, electronics and hardware sectors, the non-conventional energy sector, multi-services (IT and healthcare) sectors and apparel and textiles sectors.

 

Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a port connectivity highway project at the JNPT and allot land to JNPT project-affected persons (PAPs) under the 12.5% scheme. The projects have been expedited by Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport, highways and shipping and rural development, in the last two months.

 

The port connectivity highway project with a cost of Rs.1,926.57 crore will be completed by December 2017. The ministry of shipping has decided to execute this project in the EPC mode through an SPV. The project has been undertaken under the National Highway Development and Port Connectivity Programme.

 

Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister, Prthviraj Chavan, Minister for Heavy Industries, Anand Geete, Minister of State for Road transport, Krishan Pal and Minister of State for Coal and Power, Piyush Goyal, will grace the inaugural event.