Adani group benefited from Vizhinjam protests: Thomas Isaac
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Senior CPIM leader and former finance minister of Kerala Thomas Isaac said the state has only monitoring rights over the controversial Vizhinja port while Adani group is to manage it completely.
Talking to the News Minute, Isaac said the project was envisaged solely as a transshipment port with four-lane rings road, which can later be developed into six-lane.
Alongside the port, he said, logistic parks, industrial estates, townships, and knowledge cities can be developed on the both sides of the road.
"A developmental project of this tune would be a blessing for rubber farmers in Thiruvananthapuram because rubber farming won't be much profitable anymore in the future" he was quoted saying.
In the next ten years an investment of Rs 60,000 crore is expected for the project, he said, adding that it will be lost if the project is abandoned.
The long drawn protest against the project spearheaded by the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese of the Latin Catholic Church ended after their discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 6.
Thomas Isaac's interview comes days after it, hinting at deeper issues in the project.
When asked how much money the government will lose if the project is stopped at this point, Isaac said he had no exact figure, but added that the government guaranteed a loan of Rs 4300 crore for Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL).
The former finance minister said that the company had done " many related" developmental works and Rs 1300 crore was given as cash, and added that work completed so far used up this amount, the report said.
Isaac expanded that Adani group came as a bidder in 2015 during the Oomen Chandy government and the contract signed with Adani was one sided which the Left opposed back then.
The contract previously signed with the Adani is still in place, according to Isaac, and added that as per it Adani is required to make "very little investment", according to the report.
The port, according to him, will go to Adani for 40 years, which he said the Left was opposing and he added that the Adani group was looking for its own gains.
