THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After cargo vessels, it’s now the turn of passenger ships to call at Kollam port. Ports Minister K Babu told the Assembly on Monday that a passenger vessel would dock at the port by Onam.
Replying to a calling attention motion on coastal shipping, he said that the Re-1 subsidy on each tonne of cargo moved via coastal shipping had been extended by one more year. There will also be a subsidy for building vessels with a draft of three metres.Outlining the steps taken by the government to develop each of the smaller ports in the state, he said that the ports of Azheekal, Beypore and Vizhinjam would be included in the coastal shipping network in the next phase. Cargo movement between Kollam and Vallarpadam had been launched in Phase I.The Ports Department will convene a meeting of stakeholders in Azheekal in July for developing the port there to handle container transshipment. The government will re-tender works for developing the Azheekal port as a multi-purpose terminal and a ship repairing unit, according to the Minister.
The Ponnani Port will be developed in three phases at a cost of Rs 750 crore. The project has received environment clearance and the necessary land will be handed over to the developer soon.The draft of the Beypore port has been increased, while the development of the Vizhinjam old port is progressing, he said. Kollam has been receiving sand cargo on a regular basis, Babu said.
