THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Indian Coast Guard proposal to strengthen its presence down south has effected an addition to the Phase I plan for the multi-crore Vizhinjam seaport project. To enable permanent deployment of Coast Guard vessels in Vizhinjam, the State Government has in principle agreed to increase the wharf length planned in Phase I by 125 metres. As per the original design, the wharf length in this phase is only 650 metres.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is expected to bear the cost of constructing the extra length of wharf."We have no problem in adding 125 more metres to the wharf. But the cost has to be borne by MoD. The State Government will inform MoD of the cost,’’ State Ports Secretary Manoj Joshi said.The new development will in no way hamper the original construction plans for Phase I, he said.The Coast Guard’s request came at a recent Civil-Military Liaison Conference chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Southern Army Commander Lt Gen A K Singh. The extra wharf would cost close to Rs 100 crore, a sum which the state is reluctant to shell out of its own pocket.Phase I of the Vizhinjam seaport is scheduled to be commissioned by 2015. The growing strategic importance of the southern maritime region has triggered heightened vigil by the Navy, IAF and Coast Guard. Earlier, the Navy too had requested space at Vizhinjam port, but no fresh proposal has been made, the Ports Secretary said.The Coast Guard’s expansion plan for its Vizhinjam station was put on the back burner largely due to non-allocation of land by the government. With the government okaying quay space at Vizhinjam, the Coast Guard plans to station larger vessels to monitor the southern waters, Coast Guard sources said. The agency has also requested five acres of land at Vizhinjam for establishing accommodation facilities and a helipad.
Comments
0 comment