PM must intervene on Vizhinjam: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 2 (UNI) Kerala Ports Minister M Vijayakumar today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should give security and political clearance to Vizhinjam Deep Sea Transshipment Terminal project, overruling the objections raised by the Centre.

Dr Singh had agreed to review the issue when an all party delegation met him. His would be the final word, he told media here.

Noting that the Prime Minister could not give a definite reply to the delegation on Vizhinjam, Mr Vijayakumar said Dr Singh had said the Centre was very concerned about the project.

Asked when the final decision from Dr Singh was expected, he said there was no time frame. ''Mr Singh has to consult the concerned ministries and only after that a final decision is expected.'' Pointing out that the profeet would be the ''gateway of Indian ports'', Mr Vijayakumar said there was no proposal to call fresh tenders. ''The state government stands by the clearance given to the consortium that won the global bid for developing Vizhinjam.'' Asked if the government had thought of any alternative if no decision was arrived at, he said it stood by the clearance to the consortium - Kaidi Electric Power Company Ltd, Wuhan, China, China Harbour Engineering Company group and Zoom Developers Ltd, Mumbai.

'The project is most viable and the government does not have any liability. Moreover, the time factor is the most important aspect.' An all-party delegation from Kerala led by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy had met the Prime Minister on Thursday.

The parties, including constituents of both the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front and Bharatiya Janata Party also sought the Prime Minister's intervention to solve an inter-state dispute over heightening Mullaperiyar Dam with neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

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