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Kerala CM, Opposition claim credit for Vizhinjam port
Vizhinjam port kick started its trial operations in July last year and commercial operations began in October
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kerala on May 2, the leaders of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) battled for claiming credit for the Vizhinjam International Seaport.
India’s first semi-automated port which can handle large vessels due to its proximity to the international sea waters and natural depth, Vizhinjam port kick started its trial operations in July last year and commercial operations began in October. Since then, over 270 ships have berthed at the port and over 6 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) of cargo have been handled at the port.
On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan alleged that he was not originally invited to the commissoning event scheduled to be held on May 2 by the state government and that the invite came only after the controversy over it. “Won’t take part in the programmer,” he added.
He alleged that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trying to steal the credit for the port’s realisation by wilfully forgetting the contributions of late former chief minister Oommen Chandy whose cabinet approved the project.
“When Oommen Chandy government approved the project in 2015, Pinarayi Vijayan, who was then the CPI(M) state secretary, had termed it a scam and a ₹6,000 crore real estate deal. The same Pinarayi Vijayan trying to steal the credit for the port when it is being commissioned reminds of a character created by Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer. The project, which should have been completed in 2019, has naturally been realised now,” said Satheesan, adding that the road-rail connectivity to the port have not been completed.
He said the port became a reality because of the “will-power and determination” of the Chandy government.
At the same time, CM Vijayan clarified that the LoP’s name was present in the list sent by the state government to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“His name is present in the list we sent. But ultimately, it’s the PMO which decides who will be present on the dais during the event. It’s not in our control. I don’t know why he (Satheesan) wouldn’t participate in the event,” said the CM.
In an article published in local newspapers, the chief minister termed the realisation of the port a shining example of the LDF government’s “progressive governance culture.” He said the port was the brainchild of the 1996 Left government under EK Nayanar.
“The dream of a port in Vizhinjam has been realised due to the determination of the LDF government. It has the highest investment by a state government in the country. Currently, the state government is bearing two-thirds of the total project cost. Critical components such as the construction of the embankment were completely entirely with the funding of the state government,” the CM said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The first phase of the port has been completed and expansion works are ongoing for the remaining phases, said officials.
The Vizhinjam port is being realised on a public-private-partnership (PPP) mode with funding from the Kerala government, Centre and the Adani Ports Private Limited being the developer. In fact, it is the first greenfield port project to receive viability gap funding from the government of India, the project documents said.
Located 10 nautical miles from the international shipping line and gifted with a natural depth of 18 metres, the port has the potential to give a tremendous boost to the country’s maritime trade which is currently suffering due to the lack of a major port in southern India, it further stated.
The depth at Vizhinjam is more than that of any competing port in the country and is either more than or equal to that of international competing ports like Singapore, Colombo and Salalah in Oman, it added.
