A high-level meeting chaired by Patel has decided that GSRDC would soon come out with a Road Bond issue of Rs 250 crore. The invitation of private tenders for the development of 1600 km highways has invoked good response, an official release said.

The project will be carried out on BOT (Built, Operate and transfer) system.The meeting was attended by the managing director of GSRDC, J C Jamdar and other officials, the release added. He added that the state would soon declare the Alang ship-breaking yard as a notified area to ensure its allround development. He said Alang needed to be declared as a notified area for reasons such as safety and security, pollution and welfare of labourers.

He said, the notification would be issued soon under the GIDC Act and would be implemented by the Gujarat Maritime Board. The chief minister said at present in the Alang yard nearly 30 million tonnes of cargo was being processed every year while the target this year was 40 million tonnes.

Amenities such as roads, sewage, electricity, water and health are being developed. Patel said the state was committed to develop the ports and ensure necessary infrastructure in this regard. Severely hit by the cyclone, last year, the Navlakhi port had been made operational. The Dholera port would be made operational at a cost of Rs 850 crore and project report for this had almost been finalised and the works of the port would be completed by December 2002, he added. The chief minister said, the north Gujarat's Maroli port would be developed at a cost of Rs 1500 crore. The Mundra port of the Kutch district being jointly developed by GPIDC and Adani Ports Ltd.

And the first phase of development project has been completed at cost of Rs 312 crore.

The chief minister also emphasised on completing the ``coastal national highway'' project connecting the ports of Saurashtra and south Gujarat. The Pipavav port would be developed at the investment of Rs 392 crore in association with a private partner, he said. Patel said that the environmental clearance for the construction of jetties at Navlakhi, Mundra and Mandvi port shave been granted.