State go ahead with Vizhinjam proj

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 18: The Kerala Government would go ahead with the Vizhinjam Deepwater International Container Trans- shipment Terminal project for which the Centre's clearance was awaited, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Ports M Vijayakumar told the State Assembly today.

Replying to a Calling Attention motion by Mr V J Thankappan (CPI-M), he said political clearance for the Rs 4,360-crore project was expected from the Centre as soon as the Prime Minister returned from the Non-aligned summit.

He said an all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Minister V S Achuthanandan had met the Prime Minister on August 31 seeking early clearance for the project, which would speed up the state's economic development.

The Centre was withholding clearance for the project on security reason as the consortium which bid for the project included two Chinese companies.

UNI