THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the commissioning of Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kerala has made it to the global maritime map. The port will be a game changer for the tiny coastal state, though its benefits would only be experienced gradually, say experts. The second and third phases of the port would be completed by 2028. Its expansion, including passenger-cargo facilities, will make Kerala a leader in the global maritime sector.
According to the state government, the Vizhinjam Integrated Logistics Hub, along with the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal and 17 other smaller ports in Kerala, id poised to play an important role in the global supply chain. During the trial run, the port handled 285 ships and close to six lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). These numbers reveal the operational efficiency of the new port.
The port will have a significant impact on the Kerala economy, said K J Joseph, director, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation. “It would be game changer for Kerala’s development. The port will provide backward linkages to different sectors in the state and outside. This is one of the major achievements of the state in the recent past,” he said.
“The port has enormous potential for generating development linkage to the economy at the regional and national levels. It will change the face of Thiruvananthapuram in particular,” he added.
The port will facilitate the development of business and industry in the state, said S N Raghuchandran Nair, president of the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
“This is a very promising port due to its geographical location. All activities happening in any port city in the world, like Dubai or Singapore, will come up here as well. The port will be a big boost to the industry, business and tourism sectors,” Raghuchandran said, adding that the benefits won’t be experienced overnight but in a gradual manner.
A large number of port-related businesses will significantly improve the local economy, he said. “Logistics, supply chain, freighting, multi-model transportation, to name a few, will generate a good number of jobs as well,” he said. “Port-linked industrial parks and the special economic zone will come up at a later stage. They will bring more industrial units to the state,” Raghuchandran added.
CONGRESS SHARES 2015 SPEECH OF OOMMEN CHANDY TO STAKE CLAIM
In an apparent move to claim its role in the Vizhinjam Port project, Congress on Friday shared a one-minute video of a 2015 speech by former CM Oommen Chandy on social media.
The move came shortly after PM Narendra Modi commissioned the project on Friday. The video shows Chandy’s declaration that the ambitious Vizhinjam Port project was becoming a reality.
The move of the opposition to derail the project by raising corruption allegations will not succeed, Chandy says in the video. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan shared the video highlighting the party’s role in initiating the port project.
Noticeably Satheesan didn’t turn up for the commissioning. Meanwhile, the Congress organised commemorative events across all district headquarters, lauding Chandy’s relentless efforts in making the project a reality