Kerala to go ahead with Vizhinjam Project

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 (UNI) The Kerala Government will 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 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned from the Non-aligned summit in Havana.

He said an all-party delegation led by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had met Dr Singh 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 reasons as the consortium which bid for the project included two Chinese companies.

UNI PMM JJ RL SSC1406