MALAPPURAM: What was envisioned as a Rs 1,000-crore project to transform Ponnani into a major shipbuilding hub has snowballed into a political slugfest, with the CPM joining the row and launching a sharp attack on Ponnani MLA K P Noushad Ali over his opposition to Kerala’s proposed second shipyard.
The project, proposed by Hyderabad-based Travancore Precision Components Pvt Ltd in partnership with the Kerala Maritime Board under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, involves setting up a shipyard on 29.327 acres of coastal land in Ponnani. Planned in two phases, it is expected to generate around 2,500 jobs while boosting the development of Ponnani port.
The Maritime Board signed the agreement with the company on May 18. Officials said all statutory approvals have been secured, including those from the local self-government department, Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Water Authority and Fire and Rescue Services. Land registration, tax payments and preliminary mapping have also been completed, and the company was preparing to establish a temporary site office before commencing construction.
However, the project hit a roadblock after Noushad opposed the land allocation, arguing that it would affect the livelihoods of thousands depending on fishing.
After a meeting with Maritime Board CEO Geromic George last week, the MLA said, “People have every right to establish industries, including shipbuilding, on land they legally acquire. But attempts to deprive thousands of fishermen of their livelihood and take over valuable coastal land for private interests will not be allowed,” referring to the fish-segregation units functioning at the proposed site.
The company and the board rejected the allegations, maintaining there are no settlements on the land and that it is occupied only by a few fish-segregation sheds allegedly operating illegally and owned by private wholesale merchants.
“We have signed an agreement with the Kerala Maritime Board and obtained all approvals. We have already received an initial order worth about `200 crore from a Singapore-based company to build two electric tugboats. If the project is obstructed without valid reasons, we will pursue legal remedies,” said Arun Kumar Hari, director of Travancore Precision.
The board said the segregation units are illegal encroachments and that the district administration has identified an alternative location for them within Ponnani harbour.
Meanwhile, the CPM Malappuram district secretariat on Friday accused Noushad of trying to sabotage a major development initiative in his own constituency. In a statement, the party termed the MLA’s stand “highly objectionable” and said the project would create around 2,500 direct jobs besides indirect employment opportunities.
Rejecting the MLA’s claim that it was a private initiative undertaken without the government’s knowledge, the CPM said all legal procedures, including the agreement between the Kerala Maritime Board and the company and the land handover, had been completed by the government. The party also questioned whose interests the MLA was protecting.
