THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the UDF government not to give in to Adani’s interests in the proposed transfer of its stake to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said the transfer of a 49 per cent stake without the prior permission of the state government would violate the concession agreement and demanded that the chief minister clarify the government’s stand on the issue.
“Although the chief minister told the assembly that Adani had not informed the government about the transfer of shares to MSC, company officials have reportedly said that the government had been informed. The ball is now in the government’s court. It should clarify the course of action it intends to take. The transfer of shares to MSC would give the company a monopoly in the future and could adversely affect the long-term development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport,” he said.
Responding to the chief minister’s allegation that the previous LDF government had decided to initiate mineral sand mining through a private company, Pinarayi denied that any such decision had been taken.
“In its last budget, the LDF government had proposed a rare earth corridor connecting Vizhinjam, Chavara and Kochi. A centre was proposed on the premises of Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd at Chavara.
The allegation that KMML had signed an agreement with a private company for mineral sand mining is factually incorrect. KMML had approached the Centre to avail itself of the technical expertise of Non Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre for separating monazite from mineral sand. It was only an 18-month pilot project. Any MoU could have been signed only after obtaining the approval of both Union and state governments,” he said.