Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday warned the Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala that the Centre might consider moving the Rs7,000 crore international seaport port at Vizhinjam in Kerala to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, if it did not sort out the differences with the Opposition parties in the State on handing over the project to the Adani group.
A day after Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy expressed serious doubts about the materialisation of the Vizhinjam International seaport project in view of the corruption charges made against his Government by the CPM, Gadkari mounted pressure on the UDF Government to build consensus with the Opposition parties over the project, by indicating that Kerala might lose the project to Tamil Nadu, if it did not act swiftly.
Chandy had on Tuesday dubbed the CPM's allegations of corruption as "shocking" and said that if the Kerala government failed to implement the Vizhinjam International seaport project at this juncture, it would never be reality. Addressing a news conference marking the one year of Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Gadkari did some plain speaking on the Vizhinjam International seaport project, when he told the Kerala Government, "If there are differences in Kerala on this port, I am giving you a clear direction that we will make the international port at Colachel near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu".
Gadkari's warning to the UDF government came ahead of an all-party meeting called by Chandy to take a final decision on whether to accept the only the port project bid received from the Adani group. On its part, the Centre has already sanctioned viability gap funding for the Rs7,000 crore Vizhinjam project proposed by the Adani group. However, the NDA Government has asked the Kerala Government to take a final call in the matter.