Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister of State for Shipping and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan Sunday has said Vizhinjam project is a project being carried out by the Kerala government while Colachel is a Central project.
"Kerala needs not be concerned over the Vizhinjam project. Those in power now had opposed the project during the rule of Oommen Chandy government. But the Centre is in favour of the project then and now," the Union Minister said.
"If ports are set up in both Vizhinjam and Colachel, there will be a healthy competition between them. There will be speedy development," he said, and added that there are two ports within 35 kms in other parts of the country too.
“There are ports in Chennai and Ennore. In Mumbai also, there are two ports in 30 kms. The country needs more ports,” he said.
The Kerala government has voiced its concern over the move by the central government to give clearance to a container port at Colachel in Tamil Nadu, which is less than 50 km away from the Vizinjam container port near Thiruvananthapuram.