Halting construction work at Vizhinjam port not possible, Minister tells Assembly

Any further delay due to the strike will put the government at a serious disadvantage, the Minister said in the Assembly.

It is impossible to accept the demand of Vizhinjam Action Council (VAC) to stop construction work at the seaport project as the government will have to pay a huge compensation to the construction company for the losses it will suffer, Port Minister Ahammad Devarkovil has said.

The Vizhinjam project, which began on August 17, 2015, was scheduled to be completed by December 3, 2019. However, the project suffered repeated delays. The company had already sought compensation from the arbitration council for the losses it has been suffering due to the lost man days.

Any further delay due to the strike will put the government at a serious disadvantage, the Minister said in the Assembly on Monday, while replying to a calling attention motion by Kadakampally Surendran.

The State government has implemented ₹100 crore rehabilitation package for all fisherfolk who might be affected by the project fully or partially and lose their livelihood.

Following the Okhi disaster, the government had rehabilitated 144 fishermen in apartment complexes. To rehabilitate the remaining fisherfolk, the government has now given administrative sanction for the construction of apartment complexes in an eight-acre plot at Muttathara.

Till the flat construction is completed, the government has decided to pay a monthly sum of ₹5,500 as rent to the fishermen.

Accepting the demand of the fisherfolk, the government has now enhanced this amount to ₹8,000, by collecting ₹2,500 from the CSR funds of the construction company, Mr. Devarkovil said.