(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)A quarter-century-long wait for finding a suitor for a dream project in Kerala will end today when the Kerala government will sign a contract with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone or Apsez for the construction of the Rs75 billion Vizhinjam seaport and container transhipment terminal here.
The ceremony to be held at the Durbar Hall in the state secretariat on the evening of the Malayalam New Year day is likely to witness a spate of protests from various organisations opposing various aspects of the project. Though the Latin Catholic Church which opposed the project on behalf of the fisher folk has mellowed its stand following talks with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy various fringe groups in the church and fishermen bodies are still up in arms against the project that is expected to give a big boost to the state's economic growth. The Communist Party of India (Marist)-led opposition Left Democratic Front has decided to boycott the event accusing the government of bartering away of the state's assets to capitalists. However the opposition has not planned any agitation against the project which is supported by a broad spectrum of the society. The chief minister who has assured to address the concerns of everyone over the project said that the government will not refrain from implementing the project fearing controversy. A section of people in the state are looking for opportunities to create unnecessary controversies he said adding that this was leading to undue delays in implementing projects. "If it was not in Kerala the Vizhinjam project would have already become a reality 25 years ago. The delay has led to loss of huge opportunities for the development of the state. We will not allow anybody to delay mega projects any more" he said. Apsez executive director Karan Adani has given an assurance to the chief minister that they would complete the seaport project ahead of the four-year time frame given as per the agreement. The foundation stone for the project is expected to be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Kerala Formation Day on November 1. Vizhinjam is proposed to be developed as a container transshipment terminal with a capacity to load 600 000 twenty-foot equivalent units a year initially. This can be scaled up to one million TEU. The project has received recommendation for environmental clearance from the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Forests. The committee has cleared the project with facilities to berth 18000 TEU-capacity mother vessels. -
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