The commencement of the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport has created a new chapter in the history of infrastructure development in the State, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Speaking after inaugurating the second phase of development works here on Saturday, the Chief Minister said, “The most oft-repeated criticism the State had to face in the past in terms of development was that ‘nothing would happen here’ and ‘these are not fit for Kerala.’ Today, we have made the Vizhinjam project a reality amid those ridiculous comments and criticisms, and we are entering the second phase of the Vizhinjam project today,” he said.
With the completion of the first phase of the Vizhinjam project, Kerala’s name has been written in golden letters in the global shipping industry, and with the beginning of the second phase works, Kerala is becoming a major power in the logistics sector of India, he said. No other port in the world can claim the achievement of the Vizhinjam port, which surpassed the institutional annual capacity of 1 million TEUs of cargo in just 10 months in the opening year itself.
The port has so far handled 615 ships, including the largest mother ships in the world, and 1.32 million containers in the first year itself. This leap of Vizhinjam leaves many ports that started operations before Vizhinjam behind, he said. Vizhinjam will become a major container transshipment hub on the international shipping route and will also strengthen its position as a major crew change hub, with the Central government approving the Vizhinjam port as an immigration checkpoint. Luxury cruise ships will now be able to reach Vizhinjam. This will give a big boost to the State’s tourism sector, said Mr. Vijayan.
