CM's speech without remark about Oommen Chandy, A N Shamsir's social media post go viral

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chief Minister did not mention the name of Oommen Chandy, who laid the foundation stone for the Vizhinjam project, in the welcome ceremony. Meanwhile, Adani Port Company MD Karan Adani thanked Oommen Chandy.

Speaker A N Shamsir wrote on social media that this historical moment cannot be completed without remembering Oommen Chandy's immeasurable contributions and self-sacrifice.

M Vincent MLA pointed out that Oommen Chandy started from a clean slate and he would have been the happiest if he was alive. It was also recalled that he faced judicial and vigilance investigations for signing the contract and laying the foundation stone. There should be no difference between government and opposition in development. Vincent said it would have been nice if the opposition leader was present at the event.

At the same time, the Chief Minister felicitated Kadannapally Ramachandran and Ahmed Devarkovil by name. V N Vasavan mentioned the Oommen Chandy government's work in his speech. The Congress had put up boards with Oommen Chandy's picture on the road leading to the port.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the thought about the possibility of Vizhinjam dates back to the time of the royal rule. On September 18, 2006, the LDF government announced that it would seek approval for the project. On March 9, 2007, the retender ordered VISL as the nodal agency. Tenders were invited on July 31, 2007 with changes in conditions. On November 13, 2009, the International Finance Corporation was commissioned to study the project. In 2010, tender procedures were carried out. Later the case got complicated. The Manmohan Singh government refused permission after it was criticized that it was a Chinese company.

After the Left government came to power in 2016, we saw a boom in construction. There were various obstacles during the implementation phase. Collective will and determination made the project a reality. Construction of berths started in June 2017. Subsequent natural disasters caused delays. There was an insistence that no one should turn the scheme into an avenue for corruption or a means of exploitation. It was also claimed that by closing such loopholes, the port could be revived.