Vizhinjam will get top priority: PM Modi

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday  assured Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the Vizhinjam port project would be given priority among the proposed port projects. Mr Modi also agreed  to consider including  Vizhinjam  in the Sagaramala project connecting various ports in the country. Mr Modi told the Kerala delegation which met him in New Delhi that both Vizhinjam and Colachel projects were important for the nation's development. However, Vizhinjam would be given  top priority, he said.

Mr Vijayan along with Ports Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran  met  Mr Modi  to convey the concern of the state over the clearance given to the Colachel port in Tamil Nadu. The central government would consider the concerns of the state government on the issue and promised  to extend help to complete the work in a time-bound manner,  Mr Modi said. The state team expressed its concern over the  Colachel port as it is hardly 30 km from Vizhinjam.  This would adversely affect the viability of both the projects, Mr Vijayan said.

Mr Vijayan later told reporters in Delhi that the central planning body had earlier made it clear that a new port could be constructed in the 100-km vicinity of a port only if 90 percent of the works of the project was completed or after 15 years of establishment of the port. The planning body  had even expressed concern over the establishment of Vizhinjam project  though it was about 250 km  from the Vallarpadam project, Mr Vijayan said.