Adani fails to keep Sep 1 date with Vizhinjam port
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 1 : Private multi-port operator Gautam Adani failed to keep his September 1 promise of berthing the first ship from the Vizhinjam Port, near here, on Saturday. A tremendous ammount of work still remains.
Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL) had on December 5, 2015 targeted September 1, 2018 to finish the first phase of the Kerala port.
Adani had said it would be operational in 1,000 days, which was Saturday.
The then Oommen Chandy government had inked the 2015 agreement for the international multi-purpose deepwater seaport project at a cost of Rs 7,525 crores. Adani Ports, which was the lone bidder had sought a Rs 1,635 crore grant for this.
Vizhinjam Mother Port Action Committee member Elias John said: "What has happened is the interest shown by the Chandy government is absent with the present government.
"If the things continue to proceed like this, they will be unable to even meet the 1,425 days deadline."
The delay is being attributed to a serious shortage of limestone required for building the breakwaters. Then there was Cyclone Ockhi which landed a huge beating in 2017 and took away 150 metres of the constructed breakwater.
According to the agreement, Adani would operate the port for 40 years, extendable by 20 more years, while the state government would get a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years.
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Stalin claims DMK secured 1.54 crore votes
Chennai (PTI): DMK president M K Stalin on Tuesday, in a veiled reference to the TVK, claimed that the party that won additional constituencies has gained only 17.43 lakh more votes than the DMK.
He was referring to the April 23 Assembly polls where the DMK and its allies secured 74 seats, with the Dravidian party netting 59 constituencies.
In a statement, Stalin said, "the percentage difference in votes between us and them is just 3.52 per cent," in an apparent reference to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kahzagam emerged victorious in the polls, the results of which were announced on Monday.
Claiming that the DMK alliance has secured 1.54 crore votes, Stalin said, "I consider each and every one of your votes as an invaluable token of trust".
Stating that DMK has been in power several times, he said "there is no victory we have not seen and there is no defeat we have not faced".
"Whether in victory or defeat, those who regard them equally and continue their journey toward their ideals are the comrades of the party", he said adding "you are the lifeblood and roots of the movement".
"The harvest of 1.54 crore votes is the fruit of your commitment", he said.
"What return can I offer for your hard work? With the feeling of being the chief worker, we will continue our journey," the DMK chief added.
Stalin said "if we are the ruling party, we will formulate schemes for the people. If we are the opposition party, we will fight for the people's demands. In that regard, now as a strong opposition party, we will continue to work for the people".
Asserting that the DMK will continue the journey of taking forward the policies of the century-old great Dravidian movement, protecting race, language, and nation, the DMK leader said "in our journey, I will not leave anyone behind. We will win again".
