CPI(M) Refutes Congress Claim, Asserts Credit For Vizhinjam Seaport Project

The CPI(M) has rejected the opposition Congress' assertion that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy deserves credit for the Vizhinjam International Seaport project. According to MV Govindan, the secretary of the Kerala unit of the CPI(M), the Left government initiated and successfully realized the project. Govindan pointed out that the Congress initially opposed the port project and tried to stop it, while the Left government remained committed to making it a reality.

Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, earlier in the day, claimed that the true credit for the Vizhinjam project should go to Chandy rather than Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress also called for the port to be named after the former chief minister, who passed away in July.

Dismissing these claims, Govindan told reporters, "It was EK Nayanar, the former Left chief minister, who conceptualized the port 30 years ago. Later, VS Achuthanandan carried it forward. The UDF (Congress-led United Democratic Front) government failed to implement it effectively."

Govindan alleged that the UDF had undermined the project by entering into an agreement with the Adani Group, seeking to profit from the port. He stated that due to this agreement, Kerala would receive only one percent of the port's profits, and that too after 15 years, causing the government to lose control of the port.

He further claimed that the UDF had succumbed to pressure from the BJP-led central government when entering into the agreement with the Adani Group, emphasizing the significance of this project for Kerala's development.

The first ship, transporting cranes from China, arrived at the port on Thursday, after being delayed due to bad weather. The Vizhinjam port is being constructed as a public-private partnership, with the Adani Group as the private partner. It is set to become one of the largest ports globally once commissioned, following delays related to land acquisition and opposition from local fishermen who believed it would impact their livelihoods.