Headlines
We will go ahead with Vizhinjam port plan, says Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram, June 3
The Kerala
government is committed and will go ahead with the proposed Vizhinjam
port, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Wednesday.
Last month
two different committees that looked into the only proposal submitted by
Adani Ports for setting up of the Vizhinjam Port near Kovalam had given
it the green signal.
With the cabinet all set to give the nod,
the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Pinarayi
Vijayan alleged that about a Rs.6,000-crore corruption was involved in
the deal with Adani Ports.
Hence, Chandy called for an all-party meet over the issue.
"We
(government) have decided to go ahead with this project as it has come
to a stage which is now or never. At the all-party meeting the Left
opposition did not speak a word about corruption, but asked for more
details of the project," Chandy said.
"We have told them all
what can be given and that has not been put on the website will be given
to them. We said certain things (taking into account the commercial
secrecy) can be given only after the agreement is signed."
"Certain
issues raised by former chief minister V.S.Achuthanandan are not
tenable, we have said to them that everything will be done in a
transparent way and the interests of the state will be always safe
guarded," he added.
Since the model code of conduct for the
assembly by-election to be held in Aruvikkara has come into force, the
state government will now seek the permission of the Election Commission
to make the next move on Vizhinjam.
Aruvikkara, along with the Vizhinjam port's site, forms part of the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary constituency.
"The
Left opposition always says that we have always played truant with this
project. But the fact of the matter is it was in 1991 when K.
Karunakaran ruled the state, this proposal first came. During the Left
rule (1996-2001), nothing happened and it was when A.K. Antony came in
2001 this project again took shape," said Chandy.
He said it was
strange that during the period (2006-11) when Achuthanandan wsas the
chief minister, Adani was first invited and since he had a Chinese
partner the Centre refused to give a security clearance.
"But
now, this time when Adani submitted their tender, there was no Chinese
partner. We have put the terms and conditions of the agreement of the
Left government and ours on the website."
"Anyone having a look
at it can easily make out that our terms and conditions are much more
favourable than the one they put it up. Hence, we will go ahead with
this project at any cost," the chief minister reiterated.
He also
pointed out that the proposed Collachel port which is in Tamil Nadu but
very close to the Kerala border, would become the biggest beneficiary
if Kerala did not go ahead with Vizhinjam.
Sources in the know of
things told IANS that as and when the Election Commission gives its
nod, the government will begin the formalities for signing the agreement
with Adani Ports.
When completed, Vizhinjam will enable ships
with a capacity of even 18,000 TEU (20-feet equivalent units) to dock
here. The proposed port, located close to the busy international
shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.
The
Rs.4,000-crore first phase of the port is expected to be completed in
three phases, with the first phase being ready by 2019.
Adani Ports was the lone bidder and sought Rs.1,635 crore as grant for the proposed port project.