KOCHI: The clause which permitted mortgaging of land in the Vizhinjam port development deal was included only to attract banks and companies to the project, deposed former Planning Commission advisor Gajendra Haldea. On Monday, Haldea appeared before the Vizhinjam Judicial Commission probing irregularities in the pact signed between the previous UDF Government and the Adani Group for the port project.
The Vizhinjam Commission held a sitting at its office in Kochi during which Haldea claimed that the Adani Group has not mortgaged the Vizhinjam portland to avail loan till now. According to him, the private company cannot mortgage land without the permission of the state government.
The conditions in the agreement were scripted without considering any personal interest and were introduced with the consent of the directors' board, empowered committee and the state Cabinet.
However, Justice C N Ramachandran Nair heading the judicial commission was apprehensive of the Adani Group being able to execute the land mortgaging clause in the deal within the 15-year period.
Environmentalist Harish Vasudevan, a green activist and an expert in environmental law, submitted before the commission that construction work for the Vizhinjam port project has just started and the executing company can mortgage the land for availing huge loans any time. Haldea had prepared the model agreement for the Planning Commission. He appeared before the commission to make certain clarifications about the model agreement.
Construction work for the Vizhinjam port project has started and the executing company can mortgage the land for availing huge loans any time, according to environmentalist Harish Vasudevan