Karnataka to issue tenders for developing marina facilities in PPP mode: CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Monday said the state government will soon issue tenders for building state-of-art marina facilities at Byndoor, Mangalore and Malpe on the lines of Singapore under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Bommai made the announcement after meeting Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on the second day of his visit to the national capital.

Later, the CM also called on Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Commerce and Textile Minister Piyush Goyal.

Briefing the media, Bommai said the issue of development of marina facilities was discussed in the meeting with Sonowal who encouraged the state government to undertake these projects under the PPP model and assured providing Viability Gap Funding.

Marina facilities, which will be set up at Byndoor, Mangalore and Malpe coastal areas, would be a place for leisure, tourism and business development activities in lines of Singapore, he said. "We will invite PPP tenders in the next 8-10 days."

Bommai also discussed with the Union minister pending state proposals under the SagarMala project. Around 27 projects worth Rs 1,800 crore were submitted, out of which 10 have been cleared so far, he said.

In at least 10 projects, the state has given clarifications and the Centre has now assured fast tracking them, he said, adding some projects related to setting up a Rs 250-crore harbour project at Karwar will be cleared by the Central ministry after getting a nod from the fishery department as they are related to the department.

In his meeting with Gadkari, the chief minister said the state government has been asked to take up construction of five ring roads at Raichur, Kopla, Gulbarga, Gadag and Belgaum.

It has also been asked to send to the Centre 24 proposals related to construction of railway overbridges in the state.

Bommai, during his meeting with Goyal, sought two textile parks -- one each at Bijapur and Gulbarga -- under different schemes in order to boost employment in those districts.

The chief minister said he also plans to meet Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav later during the day and discuss lifting of restrictions on the coastal regulation zone in Karnataka like in Goa and Kerala, thereby permitting tourism activities on the beach.

Bommai also said BJP President J P Nadda will attend an event at Doddaballapur on July 28 to mark four years of BJP rule in the state.