The Trivandrum Residents Apex Council (TRAC) on Thursday began a 24-hour hunger strike in front of the General Post Office urging the Government to approve the construction of an international deepwater container transhipment terminal at Vizhinjam. Inaugurating the agitation, Pannian Ravindran, MP, expressed hope that the new Defence Minister A.K. Antony would use his influence to secure clearance for the project. TRAC president Amaravila Ramakrishnan Nair, vice-president Varkala Indran and secretary K.T. Roy are on the strike. Secretary of the Confederation of Central Government Employees Madhuso- odanan Nair, BJP leader B.K. Sekhar, CPI district secretary Ramachandran Nair, Prof. V.N. Murali, former MP A. Sampath, secretary of the Environment and Development Initiatives, Thiruvananthapuram (EDIT) K.G. Prakash and TRAC working president Francis Albert were present. Mayor C. Jayan Babu will address a gathering at the venue of the stir before the strike concludes at 10 a.m. on Friday.