Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has sought the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speedily obtaining for Kerala’s Vizhinjam port project the Centre’s in-principle approval for viability gap funding (VGF).
In a letter to the Prime Minister, copies of which were given to the media on Sunday, Mr. Chandy also sought exemption from the Cabotage regulations for the project.
Eco-clearance Mr. Chandy informed the Prime Minister that the project had already received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the State government had completed more than 90 per cent of the acquisition of land required for it.
The project, proposed to be set up through public-private partnership on DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer) basis at an estimated cost of Rs.6,647 crore, was structured in line with the VGF guidelines for financial support to such infrastructure ventures, the Chief Minister said.
“A speedy decision from the Government of India in respect of the Cabotage relaxation for Vizhinjam port will not only increase the commercial viability of the project in the long run, but also provide the desired impetus for accelerated complet6ion of this national project,” he added.
