Puthuvype: Govt halts LPG terminal work but project won't be shelved

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday stated that the construction of IOC's new LPG import terminal at Puthuvype in Kochi would be stopped temporarily, to address the concerns raised by the local residents.

After attending a meeting involving the leaders of the action council - the Janakiya Samara Samithi - Pinarayi directed the IOC management to halt the work at Puthuvype. The Samithi welcomed the government's decision and agreed to call off the protests for now.

However, the CM made it clear that the government has no plans to abandon the plant. He also justified the project, stressing that the construction started after getting the permission of all related agencies. 

Meanwhile, Pinarayi kept mum on the police's brutal action towards the Puthuvype protesters. When asked whether DCP Yatheesh Chandra will be suspended, the CM declined to comment.

The CM also confirmed that there was a security threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited Kerala to inaugurate the Kochj Metro on Saturday.

"Yes, we had reports of a security threat to the PM when he was here but that was not made public," Pinarayi said.
 

• Puthuvype protests
• Pinarayi Vijayan