Tamil Nadu: Special officer appointed for new port

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday announced appointment of a special officer to go into the impact of a proposed port at Kovalam in Kanyakumari district that had run into opposition from a section of villagers. Palaniswami told the Assembly that the foundation laying ceremony for the commercial port proposed by the Centre at Kovalam slated for December 20 last year was halted at the last minute following opposition from local fishermen who apprehended that the project would affect their livelihood.

The Chief Minister was responding to DMK member S. Austin who referred to the opposition to the port initiatives by the locals. 

The Chief Minister said a meeting held by anti-nuclear activist S. Udayakumar in Kovalam on December 23 decided to oppose the project.

“However, another section of locals held a meeting in nearby Kovilvilai two days later and decided to stage counter-protests in support of the project,” the CM said, noting that the project will be useful for the state’s economic growth.

“Appropriate action will be taken by Amma’s (late chief minister Jayalalithaa’s) government by sympathetically considering the representations of all sections of people,” he said.

Union minister of state for shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Kanyakumari, has been batting for the Enayam Port project and has accused ‘vested interests’ behind the opposition to it.