Thiruvananthapuram: The tender process for the Vizhinjam international container transhipment terminal will be completed this year and the first phase of the project within three years, Minister for Ports M. Vijayakumar has said.

Replying to questions in the Assembly on Friday, the Minister said 43 companies, including 12 foreign firms, had participated in the investors meet held in the capital city in April.

A company, sponsored by the Russian Government, had evinced interest in the project, he said.

Mr. Vijayakumar said the security clearance was the main hurdle in the implementation of the project.

The State Government had been advised to consider national interest and internal security while evaluating the tenders.

Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES) had been entrusted with the feasibility study on the rail and road connectivity to the port. The Rs.45 lakh-study would be completed within four months.

Agreement

An agreement would soon be signed with the Kerala Water Authority for making available water from Vellayani Lake to the proposed port at a cost of Rs.3.89 crore. Talks were on with the Kerala State Electricity Board for ensuring power supply to the port.

The Minister said Vizhinjam was among the six ports in the State that would be developed in the first phase. The others are at Thangaserri, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Beypore, Azheekal.

He said Azheekal had been included in the National Maritime Programme of the Union Government. Land measuring 1.8 hectares would be acquired for the project estimated to cost Rs.1,387 crore.

The work on the port at Thangaserri was nearing completion and would be commissioned soon.

A marina and cargo port had been proposed for Alappuzha taking into account its tourism potential.

Huge investment would be needed for the development of the ports and the Government planned to take up the projects under public-private partnership.

Maritime academies

Mr. Vijayakumar said the Government would set up maritime academies at Majeshwaram and Valiathura in Thiruvananthapuram.

Although land had been identified at Manjeshwaram, the progress of the project at Valiathura had hit a bottleneck. Replying to a question, the Minister said priority would be accorded to the rail-road connectivity for the proposed Vallarpadam project.

The Hindu -23-06-07