Cabotage law needs change, says Chandy

The State government has called for changes in the Cabotage law as it will help realise the full potential of the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the administrative and academic blocks of the Kochi campus of Indian Maritime University here on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said the State had taken the issue up with the Union government and expected positive steps from the Centre. Relaxation in the law, which governed the movement of containers from one Indian port to another, would help the proposed Vizihinjam project also, for which two companies had been shortlisted, the Chief Minister said. The State government was keen to see that the Vizhinjam project was realized at the earliest, he said.

Mr. Chandy said the government accorded priority to inland water transport and would make all efforts to see that the National Waterway III between Kollam and Kottappuram was inaugurated by the end of 2012.

The project would be part of the one-year action programme drawn up by the government, Mr. Chandy said. After the Kollam-Kottappuram stretch was declared ready, efforts would be made to link Thiruvananthapuram with Neeleswaram in the north, he said.

The Finance Commission had allocated Rs.225 crore for the waterway project. However, the State had not been able to utilise the full amount so far, he said.

The recent hike in petrol prices was an indication that instead of protesting against the price hike, there should be initiative to cut the cost of transport. Inland water transport was the cheapest mode of transport, he said.

The State was also keen on constituting the Maritime Board as it would serve the interests of the State.

Union Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies K.V. Thomas; Minister for Ports and Excise K. Babu; Hibi Eden, MLA; Union Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas, and Vice-Chancellor of Indian Maritime University P. Vijayan; were among those who spoke.