T’PURAM/KOCHI: The first chief minister-level talks to settle fisherfolk’s agitation against the Vizhinjam project ended in a stalemate on Thursday with CM Pinarayi Vijayan rejecting the Latin Church’s demand to stop the work. Meanwhile, Adani Ports, which is building the transshipment container terminal, moved the Kerala High Court seeking CRPF security for the project in view of the protests.
The Church delegation led by Thomas J Netto, Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, and Vicar General Eugine H Pereira met Pinarayi at Cliff House. They were pinning hope on the interaction with the CM to find a solution to the deadlock. Their main demand was to stop the work for now and conduct a study on the impact of the project. The CM rejected the demand outright.
Meanwhile, Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd’s petition in the HC stated that though the company had lodged timely complaints regarding the obstruction caused by the protestors before the state government, they are left without any remedy due to the inaction and lethargy of the police and the state machinery. In the meantime, the threat to life and property exceeds every limit. Police are standing as mute spectators, the plea said.
DELAY WILL AFFECT US: FIRM
The petition by Adani Ports said the firm started construction of port on December 5, 2015. Due to reasons like scarcity of boulders, disasters like cyclones and Covid outbreak, the complete schedule of the work could not be followed. Every day’s delay would adversely affect the firm, it said.