Government and Adani to speed up Vizhinjam port construction; procedure to hand over central share of Rs 816 crore begins

Friday 09 December, 2022 | 12:19 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the resumption of construction of Vizhinjam port, the state has initiated steps to speed up the disbursement of Rs 816 crore central government share to Vizhinjam Port Private Limited. As per the agreement, the Centre should give Rs 408 crores during the construction phase and the remaining after the project gets commissioned. The state will soon write to the Centre asking it to sign an MoU with the Adani Group for the transfer of funds. In the discussion held yesterday, the state informed the Adani Group representatives that it would provide the state share of Rs 812 crores after the transfer of the central share. Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited officials and Adani Group representatives participated in the discussion chaired by Port Department Secretary K Biju. The state also assured that the government is ready to provide any help to speed up the construction.

The construction of Vizhinjam port was resumed at 10:30 yesterday morning after three-and-a-half months of agitation. 20 lorries brought rocks for the construction of groynes from the quarry at Kummil, Kollam. The rocks were deposited in the sea at 10 pm after dredgers were brought from Muthalappozhi to Vizhinjam. About 60 percent of the filling up of the sea is complete. Only 600 meters of the 1.7 km approach road have been constructed so far. From today more lorries will reach the project area with rocks.

More rocks required