Kerala lagging behind in tapping Vizhinjam port's potentials?

Meanwhile, even as the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government is making 'tall' claims over the project, the opposition Congress states that the long-pending project materialised as its government led by Oommen Chandy signed the agreement with Adani Ports in 2015.

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the Vizhinjam International Seaport has become a reality with the arrival of the first mothership on Thursday, a slew of initiatives announced by the Kerala government to tap the opportunities are still remaining as non-starters.

Terming Vizhinjam port 'The gateway to future development', Finance Minister K N Balagopal had announced a host of initiatives in the last budget. Setting up Special Development Zones with private partnership, Vizhinjam–Navayikulam outer ring road for better NH access to the port, development corridor in Thiruvananthapuram, making Vizhinjam a comprehensive hub encompassing townships, residential areas, commercial centres, warehouses and entertainment zones, holding global investors meet and maritime summit were among the announcements.

This apart, state's key industrial promotion agency, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, announced incentives for setting up logistic parks and developing around 20 kilometres from Vizhinjam to Kazhakkoottam, where Technopark is located, as a Logistics Corridor.

However, DH learnt from various government sources that any these are yet to make any progress and remains still in its early stages of conceptualisation. Apart from the financial crunches of the government, scarcity of land is also a major challenge. It was estimated that around 10,000 acres of land within a radius of 50 km from Vizhinjam would be required to cater to the development needs, the finance minister had said in the budget speech.

The industry sources said as Vizhinjam is hardly 25 kilometres from Tamil Nadu border and the availability of land in the neighbouring state could lure industries coming up as part of the Vizhinjam port to set up units in Tamil Nadu rather than Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industry president S N Reghuchandran Nair said the Kerala government should think out of the box to tap on the high potential Vizhinjam project. If land availability is a problem in Kerala, the state government agencies could also explore options of acquiring large extent of land in adjacent parts of Tamil Nadu for setting up facilities, given the norms permit.

He also said that the ongoing road connectivity of the port to the national highway needs to be expedited. The work on the proposed tunnel rail connectivity from the nearby Balaramapuram to Vizhinjam is also moving at a snail's pace, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Adani Port and Kerala government agency Additional Skill Acquisition Programme has started various training programmes on port related activities like crane operation.

Adani Port sources said that around 700 direct jobs could be generated in the first-phase of the seaport project.

'Claim game' continues over Vizhinjam port

Even as the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government is making 'tall' claims over the project, the opposition Congress states that the long-pending project materialised as its government led by Oommen Chandy signed the agreement with Adani Ports in 2015 through a global tendering process.

The Congress also flays that opposition leader V D Satheesan was not invited for the formal reception to the maiden mothership as the Pinarayi Vijayan government wanted to suppress the earlier Congress government's key roles in making the project materialise.

The opposition camps are also widely circulating newspaper cuttings and video footage of the objections allegedly raised by the CPI(M) against the project earlier.

Ports Minister V N Vasavan said Congress Working Committee member Shashi Tharoor, who is Thiruvananthapuram MP, as well as local Congress MLA M Vincent are invited to the function on Friday.

There are reports that Tharoor may keep off from the function to express solidarity with the coastal community aggrieved over the lack of proper rehabilitation, even as he welcomes the port project. He urged that the promises given to the coastal community with regard to rehabilitation and protection of the coast should be fulfilled before the formal commissioning of the port.