THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major milestone, the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram (VIST) is all set to receive the first mothership on July 12.
The state government has decided to make it a major occasion by offering a reception, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to the ship that would arrive from Mundra port in Gujarat.
The docking of the ship, although a trial, is considered a commercially significant event after getting the Customs clearance for cargo handling.
“Despite numerous challenges, our government has successfully transformed this dream into reality through a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Adani Group. The development of Vizhinjam as a world-class transshipment hub will not only boost our economy but also create numerous employment opportunities and enhance Kerala’s stature on the world stage,” said Industries Minister P Rajeeve.
Earlier Port Minister V N Vasavan informed the Legislative Assembly that Vizhinjam port can handle cargo after being declared a customs port.
“The port has received the location code (IN NYY1). The port is awaiting Electronic Data Interchange recognition, custodian code, Immigration Check Post clearance, full clearance of NSPC etc. The full-scale commercial operation of VIST is expected to start by December,” said the minister.
The minister announced that the state government has made arrangements for signing an agreement for receiving the Centre’s share of the viability gap fund (VGF).
The tripartite agreement will be signed by the state, centre and Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL), which is the concessionaire of the project. It has been informed that a meeting of the empowered committee under the Union Finance Ministry will be held on July 27 to consider this matter, he said.
The ship ‘Zhen Hua 15’ carrying huge cranes required for the port was the first ship to dock at the port on October 15, 2023.