Colombo plans to handover Cement Factory in Jaffna to Indian firm

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 11:29 GMT]
The management of the Kaangkeasanthu'rai (KKS) Cement Factory located in the High Security Zone, 17 km northeast of Jaffna city, is to be handed over to the India's Birla Corporation Limited, according to Sri Lanka's Minister of Construction and Engineering Services Rajitha Senaratne. A team of officials of the Birla Corporation Limited, one of the biggest cement production companies is expected to arrive in Colombo on February 4, on the Sri Lankan Independence Day, to hold talks with SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The production of cement in KKS factory would commence once an agreement is signed with the Birla company, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

KKS Cement Factory was the first cement factory in Sri Lanka and it was closed since 1980 due to the war.

The Cement Division of Birla Corporation Limited in India has seven plants, having an installed capacity of 5.8 million tons.