THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vizhinjam Project has hit rough weather with Santosh K Mohapatra, CEO, Adani Vizhinjam Ports Pvt Ltd, the project concessionaire, putting in his papers. Meanwhile, Rajesh Jha, an IIT-Roorkee alumnus, who had been with the company for four years, has taken over as the new CEO. Though sources close to Mohapatra maintained he had cited indifferent health as the reason for resignation, it is believed the move was prompted by the delays which have plagued the Rs 7,525 crore project. Mohapatra, however, could not be reached for his comment.
It was Mohapatra, a former Odisha-cadre IAS officer, who had signed the concession agreement with the Kerala Government on behalf of the Adani Group in 2015. Despite the work on the mega project kicking off on a positive note on December 5, 2015, the work, especially on the breakwater, had been hit in recent months.
Delay in procurement of rock for constructing the 3.1 km breakwater - one of the biggest of its kind built in the country - had put a question mark over the timely completion of Phase I. Only about 650 m of the structure have been completed so far. According to an earlier announcement by the state government, commercial operations will start at the port by December 4, 2019. That was the deadline set for completing Phase I. Though the Adani Group has announced plans to procure rock from Kollam as well as Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, the consignments are yet to arrive
‘CEO’s shock exit unlikely to rock boat’
T’Puram: Santosh K Mohapatra’s sudden decision to step down as CEO of Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL) will not in any way affect the prospects of the project, said the state government firmly in charge of the D7,525 crore initiative.