The first container ship that arrived at Vizhinjam will be welcomed and the trial run of the port will be inaugurated today. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate at 10 am. Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be the Chief Guest. Only M.Vincent, the local MLA from the opposition, will participate. The first container ship San Fernando arrived at the port yesterday morning.
At the same time, the rights dispute over Vizhinjam international port has turned into public protest. Dedicating the success of the project to former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the UDF will hold a demonstration in the district centers today. UDF convener MM Hasan informed that the protest was based on the issues of not inviting opposition leader VD Satheesan to the function.
The opposition leader and others had claimed yesterday that the project was the brainchild of the UDF and was implemented during the Oommen Chandy government. The chief minister claimed that since the LDF government came to power, special attention and care had been given to the Vizhinjam project.
The UDF is countering this by pointing out that Pinarayi Vijayan opposed the Vizhinjam project when he was the party’s state secretary. MP Shashi Tharoor is staying away from the function, pointing out that things including the rehabilitation of coastal residents have not been implemented.
