Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the capacity of the Vijinjam Deepwatter Port will be tripled in three years in three years, which will easily do some of the world’s largest cargo ships here.
The PM said the port will reduce India’s dependence on the foreign transmission hub, where currently 75% of transpirations are, which was a clear context for Colombo and Singapore. He said that this change can promote revenue retention and create new opportunities in Kerala.
The Rs 8,800 crore Vizinjam project is India’s first dedicated transpiration hub with a natural depth of about 20 meters, allowing large ships to be berth, something that is not possible at small ports of the country.
Modi connected the project to India’s broad maritime strategy, referring to Marine nectar vision And Indo-Central East-Europe Economic Corridor Announced at the G20 summit. While the port itself was subject to development for years, most of the construction and equipment included private sector cooperation, especially Adani portsWhich is operating the terminal.
In a light vein, the PM also commented on the role of private investment in the project. “When the people of Gujarat find out that Adani built such a great port in Kerala, after working at a port in Gujarat for 30 years, nothing like that, they would be upset with him,” he said, “attracted laughter from the audience.”
Exposing the government’s focus on maritime development in the last 10 years, Modi mentioned about a 30% decrease in turnaround time of ships at major ports of India. He also said that the reform rules related to Indian maritime passengers were giving important results. While in 2014, the number of Indian sailors was less than 1.2 lakhs, today it has exceeded 3.2 lakhs.
This program organized on the birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya – a figure Modi often mentioned – highlighted the increasing importance of Kerala in India’s economic and maritime plans. Modi linked the inauguration of the port to the spiritual heritage of the Kerala -born philosopher, saying that his teachings laid the foundation of unity and Kerala is now being deployed as the major part of India’s economic future.
The port was inaugurated at a time when Kerala’s economy faced growing loans and limited fiscal places in which the state government was demanding more central assistance. The PM has highlighted several infrastructure projects, which have been supported by the Center in the state, including a long delayed Kollam and Alappuzha bypass, as well as new investment such as Kochi shipbuilding and repair clusters.
