Even as works on the Vizhinjam International Seaport was resumed by the concessionaire company Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited, industrialist Gautam Adani’s son Karan Adani is set to call on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Chief Secretary V. P. Joy here on January 6 and 7.
Karan Adani, who is the chief executive officer of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd and director of Adani Airport Holdings, is expected to meet the Secretary, Ports, Minister of Ports Ahammad Devarkovil, and other senior officials. The industrialist will meet the Chief Minister and other officials after reviewing the works on the seaport project which was earlier stalled by fishermen led by the Latin Archdiocese, Thiruvananthapuram, for about 140 days raising various demands. With the strike called off now, the works are progressing at a brisk pace.
According to sources, the Adani Group is also expected to seek the cooperation of the State government on acquiring land required for carrying out works on the runway end safety areas (RESA) at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Airport authorities are required to expand the existing RESA to 240 m on both sides of the runway, for which about 12 acres are needed.
While 10 acres of the required land is in the possession of the State government, 2 acres is with the Centre-run BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL). Though the company is ready to acquire the land for the runway expansion, it requires the cooperation of the State government as acquisition of land under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 will make the process hassle-free for it.
However, it is not sure whether the State government would agree to the demands of the Adani Group to invoke the provisions of the land acquisition Act, especially against the backdrop of the Supreme Court recently dismissing the petitions filed by the Kerala government and airport employees’ union challenging the decision of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to lease out the management of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport to Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL).
The State has been waging a protracted legal battle against the company in protest against the AAI’s decision to lease out the airport.
