Is French erosion tech project sunk?

MANGALORE: Is Karnataka Minister of State for Ports and Fisheries Vasanth Salian eating his words? A reality check shows an official announcement to kick off the French Stabiplage technology to arrest sea erosion along 1.5 km in the Ullal-Kotepura area in Dakshina Kannada district by end-September has come to nought.
September has come and gone, and half-way into October, there are no signs of work commencing on the pilot project estimated to cost Rs 8.16 crore.
"The project is still on," was all Salian said when contacted by The Times of India. He blamed it on "procedural" delay, as certain procedures have to be followed for implementing a project that exceeds Rs 5 crore. He said, a proposal would be placed before the state Cabinet, probably in a fortnight.
It may be recalled that on his return from a visit to France’s beach towns in July, purportedly to see and study Stabiplage technology, the minister had then also spoken of submitting a project report and proposal "within days" to Chief Minister Krishna and the Cabinet. But nothing happened, it appears.
For a total recall: in July, Salian made a dash to France, at government expense, to check out the French technology that has arrested sea erosion in the beach towns there. He said then, he had gone there on the invitation of the French government and Ms Espace Pur Asconit, a private firm responsible for Stabiplage.
On return after an extended stay in France, when he announced an agreement with that country to import know-how and infrastructure for the pilot project in Ullal, experts raised questions on the need to import such expensive technology, when effective indigenous techniques were available.
Besides, they expressed doubts on the foreign technology suiting Indian conditions. They argued, home-spun technology to check sea erosion has been successfully implemented in other coastal states at half the cost.
Salian had said then, France would bear one-third of the cost and two-thirds would come from the state kitty.
When asked now whether state assistance was binding, he asserted: "Stabiplage is the chief minister’s project and funds will come." Once it got Cabinet approval, the project would require 45 days to take off, he added.
Will the ambitious project get going at all? Or was minister Salian giving a pleasure trip to France at the tax-payer’s expense, the mask of serious business?