‘UDF-LDF squabble may cost Kerala Vizhinjam’

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has warned the state that differences of opinion between the LDF and UDF may derail the Vizhinjam project.

The warning came in the background of political controversies relating to the handing over of the tender for the Vizhinjam project to Goutham Adani.

The CPM had come out against handing over the construction of the project to Adani alleging that the State Government was trying to sabotage the project by replacing the landlord model with a Private Public partnership model.

Mr Gadkari told reporters in Delhi that it was for the political parties and the State Government to decide on whether they wanted the project or not. If the project was delayed due to the differences of opinion between political parties, it would be against national interest. If there was a delay, the central government would have to think of other options, Mr Gadkari said.

It was for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a decision on providing relief under Cabotage law for the project. It was the political situation that forced private entrepreneurs not to invest in the state, Mr Gadkari said.

Port Minister K Babu also expressed a similar view. He said that if a firm decision was not taken now, the project would never happen. A decision above petty political consideration was the need of the hour. He however, maintained that it was purely a state government project.

However, LDF Convenor Vaikom Viswan said that the state government was trying to spread falsehoods about the Vizhinjam project.

The LDF Government had decided to construct the project on the landlord model and hand over the port operation to a private operator on the public private participation model.

However, the present UDF Government decided to change this model. Both construction and operation was handed over to private operators on a public private partnership model, Mr Viswan said.