Is the Kerala Chief Minister trying to hijack credit over Vizhinjam port?

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's silence on the role played by the previous Congress government led by Oommen Chandy in making the Vizhinjam International Seaport (VIS) a reality has further fuelled criticisms that Vijayan is trying to take credits for the major infrastructure project that is expected to boost Kerala's development.

Despite the fact that the Oommen Chandy government from 2011 to 2016 took utmost initiative in making the project a reality and signed the agreement with the Adani Ports in 2015, Vijayan did not mention about it in his inaugural address of the trial run of the port on Friday, even as he highlighted the steps taken by the previous Left Front governments and also appreciated the ports ministers in his government.

However, Adani Ports Chief Executive Officer Karan Adani expressed his gratitude to Chandy, apart from others, in his address.

Congress MLA M Vincent, who spoke on the occasion, highlighted the role played by Chandy government in making the long-pending project materialise. Chandy's commitment helped in overcoming many hurdles that came in the way and inking the deal with Adani Ports, he said.

Even as the proposal for an international seaport at Vizhinjam was prevailing since pre-independence days, it got a fresh lease of life in 1991 when the Congress government led by K Karunakaran was in power. Both the CPM-led Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front governments that came to power later on took forward the project. But the key developments like steps for land acquisition in the sensitive coastal belt and finalising Adani Ports as the private partner for building and operating the port took place during the term of the Chandy-led Congress government from 2011-2016.

Chandy, who died last year, was also widely appreciated for it then.

For these reasons, Vijayan's silence on the contributions of Chandy in making the project a reality is being widely criticised.

Congress had also expressed displeasure over not inviting Opposition Leader V D Satheesan to the event on Friday. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor stayed away from the event to express solidarity with the local people aggrieved over delay in proper rehabilitation and protection of the coast area from sea erosion.

The Chief Minister, who accorded a formal reception to the maiden mothership, San Fernando of Maersk shipping company, that reached VIS on Thursday, said the seaport would open a new chapter for the development of Kerala as well as India. He said that expansion of the seaport in the next three phases would be completed by 2028, about 17 years ahead of the scheduled completion time of 2045.

Union Minister of Ports Sarbananda Sonowal said on the occasion that the VIS would highlight the significance of the public-private partnership model in development.

Meanwhile, Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan also expressed displeasure that the government did not inform him about the inauguration of the trial run. He told reporters that he came to know about the event from the media.