JOIN USPM Modi inaugurates Rs 6,000-crore worth development projects in Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched major infrastructure projects to the tune of over Rs 6,000 crore in Kerala, including a Propylene Derivative Petrochemical project at the BPCL Kochi Refinery.
Terming the Kochi Refinery 'one of the most modern' in the country, Modi said that the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical project is a major leap in the journey towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
It would save foreign exchange as acrylic acid, oxo-alcohol and acrylates that are now being imported could be produced here. The project would be a boost to the nation's development and thereby, can generate more job opportunities, he said.
Modi said that the newly commissioned Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal would be a boost to the tourism sector. Cochin Shipyard's Vigyana Sagar, a campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute, would help develop human resources for the marine engineering sector that was expected to witness much demand.
Inaugurating the Ro-Ro vessels of Inland Waterways, he said that it would reduce 30 km distance by road to 3.5 km by water. Apart from enhancing convenience and capacity building, the Ro-Ro vessels would bring down transportation cost and pollution. He also laid the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at the function that attracting private investment should not be the only focus of development, and steps to strengthen public sector undertakings and modernising traditional sectors are also required. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was also present at the function.
DYFI workers staged a protest in Kochi against fuel price hike during Modi's visit by raising black balloons.