The State government has asked Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL) tasked with the execution of the International Multi-Purpose Deepwater Seaport project at Vizhinjam to expedite the work on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.
The directive comes as it is clear that the deadline of December 3, 2019 fixed for the completion of the Phase I of the project in the concession pact between the State and the AVPPL will be missed.
Minister visits site
The directive was issued by Ports Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran who visited the project site along with Secretary, Ports, Sanjay M. Kaul and Managing Director and CEO, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), Jayakumar, on Thursday to review the project and assess the ground situation.
Procurement of granite
The Minister who toured the project site was told by the AVPPL officials that mobilising the 60 lakh tonnes of granite needed for the construction of the remaining 2.5-km critical portion of the 3.1-km breakwater was the biggest hurdle faced by them.
The efforts of the AVPPL to source granite from nearby Tamil Nadu and move it via sea from the Tuticorin port to Vizhinjam was conveyed to the Minister.
The remaining breakwater in the deepwater zone ranges from 16 m to 20 m.
The Minister was also apprised of the measures being taken to procure granite from the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta.
Later, the Minister and the officials had detailed interaction with the AVPPL officials at the Government Guest House, Kovalam. Major Dinesh Bhaskaran, Additional Private Secretary to the Chief Minister; K.R. Hareendranath, Private Secretary to the Ports Minister; and Rajesh Jha, CEO, AVPPL were present.
