Crude oil storage facility will be commissioned next month: Moily

February 8, 2014

Mangalore, Feb 8: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas M Veerappa Moily said that Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited's (ISPRL) crude oil storage facility at Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) in Mangalore will be commissioned next month.

Interacting with press persons on the sidelines of the inauguration of HPCL Transport hub at Bala here on Saturday, he said that about 75 per cent of the work of the underground cavern at Padur in Udupi has been completed.

"The two reserves, along with another storage in Vizag can store 5.33 million metric tonne (MMT) of crude oil. Mangalore's capacity is 1.5 MMT whereas that of Padur is 2.5 MMT," he said. In second phase, crude oil storage will be built in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa and Kerala with a total proposed capacity of 12.5 MMT, he informed.

Earlier, Veerappa Moily inaugurated country's first transport hub at HPCL Mangalore LPG Import Facility (MLIF). The hub is meant for LPG traveling truck crew with a parking area for 60-70 tank trucks at a time, dormitory, medical room, book bank, gym, bakery, ATM, canteen, drinking water, resting shed and other facilities. The Minister said that it was the Perne gas tanker accident that occurred on April 9, 2013 that claimed more than 10 lives triggered him to think over constructing a hub. "There is no facility to relax and refresh for inter-state traveling tanker crews and many a time this leads to accidents due to dozing or laxity while driving," he said.

Moily took a dig at the protest against laying of LPG pipelines saying that if underground LPG pipelines were possible here like many developed countries, road accidents involving LPG tankers could have been avoided. "Some even propagated that underground LPG pipeline will be used for bomb explosion. In cities like Mumbai, 30 storied buildings were constructed on the underground pipeline sans any problem," he pointed.

“If we want to generate jobs, development is inevitable. Unless the boundary of development overlaps on wild life and environment there is hardly any problem. Our mindset is the problem,” Moily maintained. Ministers U T Khader, Abhayachandra Jain, MLA Mohiyuddin Bava, HPCL South zone DGM (LPG) Kanuru Srinivas, DGM (Retail) Saikumar Suri among others spoke.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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