Vizhinjam, a sleepy fishing harbour, about 25 kms south of the famed Kovalam beach is all set to become a busy hub of shipping activity within a decade. Work on the much talked about Vizhinjam International Seaport is to begin on 01 Nov, this year by the Adani group thanks to the Oommen Chandy government giving the go ahead today.
The two fundamental factors that make Vizhinjam an ideal contender to become an international seaport are:-
(a) It's smack on the international maritime highway and
(b) It has a depth of about 24 meters all the year round!
The seaport project was conceived 25 years ago but had gone through a tortuous path of decision making because of personal egos, narrow political considerations, the usual Malayalee reticence to change, ably aided by certain external factors too. A quick recount of those factors show as to how development is stalled and the rightful ownership to its benefits are denied to a people by false propaganda and vicious campaigns and here, I go:-
(a) Lack of political will.
(b) Bureaucratic red tape.
(c) International lobbies had used 'paper NGOs' to stall the project because its advent would
have seriously dented the business of Colombo, Dubai and Singapore ports.
(d) Tamilnadu was keen to have the port of Kolachel, about 50 kms further south on the coast,
to be developed for the purpose - that the concerned ministry was with a minister of the DMK
party in the UPA government only aggravated the issue!
(e) 70% of the international transshipment of Indian cargo business is currently handled by the
port of Colombo - the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal at Kochi notwithstanding, but that's another sad story again - and Vizhinjam can pose a serious threat
if it offers competitive rates!
(f) The bid submitted by the Chinese Harbour Engineering Company, in 2006, was shot down
due to security considerations which then went on to develop the Hambantota port in Sri
Lanka that had commenced operations in 2010, becoming yet another contender in the stakes.
(g) The LDF government had, then, short listed the Adani group to undertake the project but it
was shot down by the UPA government at the center citing the group's closeness to Narendra
Modi which was further augmented by the factor mentioned at serial (d) above.
(h) The vexed issue of land acquisition for the project had dragged on for the past so many years
with almost all the forces, against the project, playing merry hell. Thankfully, 90% of the
acquisition has been completed by now.
Therefore, when the UDF government of Oommen Chandy tom toms the fruition of the dream project as its major achievement, the LDF is peeved about it and has been talking of a massive scam of Rs.6,000 crores out of the Rs.7,525 crore project!
How should the common man react to such an allegation?
Tailpiece.
I leave you with a pertinent question, "The port, had it been commissioned in the normal course after conception would have made a huge difference not only to the debt-ridden state economy but also rejuvenated the country's revenue". Shouldn't the forces who'd thwarted the project till now answer for letting down the people?
The two fundamental factors that make Vizhinjam an ideal contender to become an international seaport are:-
(a) It's smack on the international maritime highway and
(b) It has a depth of about 24 meters all the year round!
The seaport project was conceived 25 years ago but had gone through a tortuous path of decision making because of personal egos, narrow political considerations, the usual Malayalee reticence to change, ably aided by certain external factors too. A quick recount of those factors show as to how development is stalled and the rightful ownership to its benefits are denied to a people by false propaganda and vicious campaigns and here, I go:-
(a) Lack of political will.
(b) Bureaucratic red tape.
(c) International lobbies had used 'paper NGOs' to stall the project because its advent would
have seriously dented the business of Colombo, Dubai and Singapore ports.
(d) Tamilnadu was keen to have the port of Kolachel, about 50 kms further south on the coast,
to be developed for the purpose - that the concerned ministry was with a minister of the DMK
party in the UPA government only aggravated the issue!
(e) 70% of the international transshipment of Indian cargo business is currently handled by the
port of Colombo - the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal at Kochi notwithstanding, but that's another sad story again - and Vizhinjam can pose a serious threat
if it offers competitive rates!
(f) The bid submitted by the Chinese Harbour Engineering Company, in 2006, was shot down
due to security considerations which then went on to develop the Hambantota port in Sri
Lanka that had commenced operations in 2010, becoming yet another contender in the stakes.
(g) The LDF government had, then, short listed the Adani group to undertake the project but it
was shot down by the UPA government at the center citing the group's closeness to Narendra
Modi which was further augmented by the factor mentioned at serial (d) above.
(h) The vexed issue of land acquisition for the project had dragged on for the past so many years
with almost all the forces, against the project, playing merry hell. Thankfully, 90% of the
acquisition has been completed by now.
Therefore, when the UDF government of Oommen Chandy tom toms the fruition of the dream project as its major achievement, the LDF is peeved about it and has been talking of a massive scam of Rs.6,000 crores out of the Rs.7,525 crore project!
How should the common man react to such an allegation?
Tailpiece.
I leave you with a pertinent question, "The port, had it been commissioned in the normal course after conception would have made a huge difference not only to the debt-ridden state economy but also rejuvenated the country's revenue". Shouldn't the forces who'd thwarted the project till now answer for letting down the people?
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