Kerala: PM Modi to inaugurate Vizhinjam Port as political parties claim credit

In 2015, Kerala government signed an agreement with the Adani Group to develop the Vizhinjam port under the PPP model. The project moved closer to reality in October 2023 when cargo ship 'Shen Hua 15 A' anchored off the coast with cranes from China.

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon commission the Vizhinjam Port, a landmark for Indian maritime sector, on Friday. The official commissioning is scheduled at 11 AM. Traffic restrictions will be in place in Thiruvananthapuram city today and Friday due to the Prime Minister's visit. The restrictions will be in from 6:30 AM to 2 PM.

On Thursday, Prime Minister's Air India One aircraft reached Kerala and PM Modi stayed at the Raj Bhavan. The Prime Minister reached Vizhinjam port today by military helicopter. The massive MSC vessel, Celestino Maresca, will arrive at Vizhinjam for the commissioning.

The inauguration will take place on a specially prepared stage at the port entrance. Dignitaries including Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will attend the ceremony. 10,000 people are expected to attend. Entry will be open to the public. Vizhinjam is under tight security in view of the Prime Minister's arrival. Tight security has been arranged on land and sea. A trial run of the security arrangements was completed yesterday.

The commissiong will be a significant step towards a brighter future for Kerala's socio-economic landscape. In 2015, the Kerala government signed an agreement with the Adani Group to develop the Vizhinjam port under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The project moved closer to reality in October 2023 when the cargo ship 'Shen Hua 15 A' anchored off the coast with cranes from China.

Vizhinjam, which has received the international location code 'IN TRV 01', is India's unique port with direct access to major shipping routes worldwide, opening new doors for Kerala in global logistics. The Vizhinjam port, which began its trial run on July 13, 2024, officially commenced commercial operations on December 3, 2024. It has already handled over 246 container ships and transhipped around 5 lakh TEUs of cargo, generating a total revenue of Rs 243 crore.

A poster war had erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF). All three parties claimed credit for the fruition of the Vizhinjam port. Posters thanking Oommen Chandy can be seen along the road to Vizhinjam port. The posters say, 'Kerala will never forget'. The posters are in the name of the Congress Block Committee. Flex boards of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister are also present along the way. 

Newspaper ads by state government gives equal prominence to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The BJP ad features pictures of the Prime Minister and BJP state president K Surendran. However, yesterday's central government advertisement didn't mention the Chief Minister's name.

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