First mothership docks at Kerala's Vizhinjam international transhipment port
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Container ship, 'San Fernando', from China, berthed at Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) on Thursday marks the first arrival of such a vessel at India's largest transhipment port.
The mothership was given a water salute by four tugs, which piloted it to the dock.
San Fernando, a 300-meter-long cargo ship, will offload 1,900 containers at VISL on Friday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launching the port's first phase of operations.
The mothership carries large containers which will be transferred to other ships and later transported to other ports in the country and abroad.
The inaugural ceremony will be attended by several dignitaries, including Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Central and state ministers, officials, and members of the public.
"The dream is approaching the shore. The first mothership is reaching Kerala's Vizhinjam port. San Fernando will be officially welcomed on behalf of Kerala tomorrow," Vijayan in Facebook post said on Thursday.
Equipped with modern equipment and advanced automation and IT systems, Vizhinjam will become India's first semi-automated port, expected to be fully commissioned in September or October 2024.
"It is a natural port with depths between 20 and 24 meters. We have found that the ocean bottom here is rocky, which is very rare. Elsewhere, we would have to dredge to attain such depths," Kerala Minister for Ports and Cooperatives V N Vasavan said.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
