Adani vows port will be born in 1000 days

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vizhinjam transshipment terminal will become operational  in 1,000 days,  according to Mr  Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani group of companies. He made the  announcement at the function to sign the concession agreement for the Rs 7,500-crore Vizhinjam project here on Monday. 

Going by his assurance, the port would be ready by  September 27, 2018.   As per the agreement, the group has four years to complete the first phase of the project.

Port  secretary James Varghese signed the  concession agreement with Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited CEO Santosh Kumar Mohapatra on  Chingam 1, the Malayalam New Year day,  at the durbar hall of the state secretariat.

Mr Adani said that relaxation in the cabotage law was  important not only for Vizhnijam port but also for the shipping industry as a whole.

He also said that of the seven- to-eight  million TU transshipment business originating from the country, nearly three  million TU was being handled from outside the country. 

Vizhinjam would offer competitive pricing for cargo transport from the port, Mr Adani said.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that as per indications from the Union Shipping Ministry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the port would get exemption in cabotage law before it becomes operational.

If Vizhinjam was in any other state, the port would have been a reality over a quarter  century back. “Everything that a port needs is there in Vizhinjam,” Mr Chandy said.

Ports Minister K. Babu  said earlier that Vizhinjam was the single biggest infrastructure project after the Idukki dam and Kochi airport that was  going to materialise in the state.

The construction of the multipurpose deepwater seaport will start on November 1,  Kerala formation day. Finance Minister K.M. Mani, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar and Assembly Speaker N. Sakthan were also present at the event.

The proposed port, located close to the international shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.