Article Posted on : - Dec 28, 2008

Akash missile being fired from Chandipur testing range. DRDO photo

BHUBANESWAR (PTI): Worried over safety of its missile testing centre in Orissa's Balasore district, the Defence Ministry has objected to the state government's move to set up an all-weather port at Inchudi at the mouth of Subernarekha river, official sources said.

“The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) had objected to construction of a port at Inchudi which was close to test range at Chandipur”, state chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said after holding a discussion with the DRDO personnel here on Friday.

The state government, which was planning at least five ports in Balasore coast, had received green signal from DRDO for four other ports at Bahalpur, Chudamani, Chandipur and Kirtania. Only one port at Inchudi was objected to, he said.

Meanwhile, the state government had already signed MoU with a private firm for setting up a port at Kirtania. The DRDO objected to the port at Inchudi because it fell within the 50 km range of the test range at Chandipur. The state government, however, claimed that though the Revenue village at Inchudi came under the 50 km radius of the test range, the proposed port is located at its border and well outside the specified distance.

The state government's argument was not accepted by the DRDO officials who attended the meeting and asked the administration to submit a detailed project report with the Defence Ministry again before going ahead with the port proposal at Inchudi.