DMK member demands cancel of port devept project

Puducherry, Apr 24: DMK member S P Sivakumar today urged the territorial administration to cancel the agreement entered into with a private player for the Port development project here.

Making a special mention during Zero Hour in the Assembly, Mr Sivakumar, pointing to the postponment of one of his questions on the port development to the next assembly session on direction from the Port Minister, said the minister had cited that the matter was subjudice for this postponment.

Citing instances of issues pending in courts being discussed in several legislative assemblies and Parliament, the DMK member said the minister himself had urged the members to come forward to discuss the issue on the floor of the House instead of taking it to the streets.

Mr Sivakumar said it was cent per cent true that the Rs 2,700 crore project to develop the port was handed over to a private player without seeking expression of interest from developers.

The officals citing rules and regulations for simple issues had blindly supported the mega project, he said adding the refusal of the minister to give a reply to the question was being considered as his own decision and hoped that some other day it would not be stated that the decision was the collective one of the cabinet.

Hence, the Chief Minister should cancel the port development agreement project, he demanded.

However, no reply was given to him from the government's side.

UNI