Vizhinjam seaport commissioned amidst CPM, Congress staking claim

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vizhinjam International Seaport (VIS), which is considered to emerge as a game changer in Kerala's development, was formally commissioned on Sunday.

The realisation of a long awaited dream project of Kerala witnessed the ruling CPM and opposition Congress staking claims over it, especially since the major infrastructure project could be a key subject in the coming election campaigns.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who inaugurated the seaport by formally receiving the first cargo ship from China, Zhen Hua 15, with cranes for the port's operations, said that Kerala would become the hub of container transhipment in the country as the VIS could accommodate motherships. He said that the port would commence commercial operations in another six months. He also said that the project proved that nothing was impossible in Kerala.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress who spoke later said that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy took efforts in initiating the project despite allegations that it was a real estate deal with the Adani group, the private partner of the project.

The Rs 7,700 crore major infrastructure would be a major topic in the coming elections and hence the CPM and the Congress who have been ruling Kerala over the years are staking claims over the project.

Congress demanded that the port should be named after Oommen Chandy as key initiatives like selection of the private partner, obtaining mandatory clearances and commencing of the construction work happened during his tenure as Chief Minister in 2011-2016. The CPM camps countered it by stating that discussions regarding the project were going on from the time of the CPM governments ahead of that and hurdles in the construction work were sorted out by the ruling CPM government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

Congress camps also countered by sharing news cuttings of CPM raising serious allegations against the deal initiated by the Oommen Chandy government with the Adani ports.

Hoardings backing Chandy and Vijayan were also put up by Congress and CPM workers respectively at the project site.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Adani Ports chief executive officer Karan Adani hailed the support from the Congress and CPM governments in making the project realise.

Proximity to international shipping routes connecting Europe, Persian Gulf and the Far East by just ten nautical miles and natural depth of 18 to 20 metres makes Vizhinjam an ideal spot for attracting large motherships.