Centre has turned a blind eye to Vizhinjam port: Vasavan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Kerala’s request for a special financial package of ₹5,000 crore for the Vizhinjam International Seaport project has not found any place in the Union Budget and this once again proves the Centre’s vindictive attitude towards the State, Port Minister V.N. Vasavan has said.

In just six months of trial runs, the port has handled three lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo by facilitating the docking of 150 ships, including five of the world’s largest container vessels. January alone saw 45 ships calling at the port and handling 85,000 TEUs. This is just the beginning, and Vizhinjam is set to become India’s maritime pride, the Minister said in a statement here on Saturday.

However, there is no justification for neglecting Vizhinjam port in the Union Budget, which has marked India on the world trade map, he says.

The Centre itself is sabotaging the Indian federal system without taking the country as one. The project has handled three lakh TEUs in six months and it is desperately looking for further development, which is imperative for fully utilising the potential of Vizhinjam. Vizhinjam will bring in thousands of crores of rupees to the coffers of the country, which used to depend on Colombo and other ports for cargo transshipment.

The Union Finance Minister, who says that she will give due consideration to the shipping sector, has failed to take note of the Vizhinjam port and Kerala’s infrastructure development plans due to her political interests, says Mr. Vasavan.

This political vengefulness is visible in the denial of the ₹24,000-crore package sought by Kerala, semi-high-speed rail project, ₹2,000-crore package for Wayanad relief and rehabilitation, and the ₹1,000 crore package to solve human-wildlife conflicts, he says.