Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 30 (ANI): Kerala Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan addressed a media briefing on Wednesday ahead of the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2 at 11:00 AM.

In the presence of state ministers V. Sivankutty, G.R. Anil, and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran, Minister Vasavan announced the list of dignitaries invited to the commissioning ceremony. Along with PM Modi, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, State Ministers Saji Cheriyan, V Sivankutty, G.R. Anil, Opposition leader V D Satheesan, MPs Shashi Tharoor and A.A. Rahim, Mayor Arya Rajendran, and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

'Our nation is about to witness an unforgettable moment. On May 2nd at 11 AM, the Prime Minister will commission the Vizhinjam International Seaport. This is a historic occasion. A list of invitees including the Governor, Chief Minister, Union Shipping Minister, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, State Ministers Saji Cheriyan, V Sivankutty, G.R. Anil, Opposition Leader, MPs Shashi Tharoor and A.A. Rahim, Mayor, and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Prime Minister's Office will finalise who will speak and sit on the dais. The event will be completed within 90 minutes as per protocol,' said the port minister.

Highlighting the operational achievements of the port ahead of commissioning, Vasavan said, 'The port began its trial run in July 2024 and received its commissioning certificate on December 3rd. So far, 285 ships have arrived, handling 593000 TEUs, surpassing expectations even before formal commissioning. Vizhinjam has already outperformed many global ports. MSC ships, which previously did not dock in Dubai or Colombo, have reached Vizhinjam.'

On the port's capacity and future, Vasavan added, 'Vizhinjam can handle up to 30 lakh TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) annually, and based on current operations, even 45 lakh TEUs is possible.'

Minister Vasavan further informed that the construction will be completed ahead of schedule.

Addressing funding concerns, he said, 'Initially, the Centre insisted on providing VGF (Viability Gap Funding) as a loan. Despite repeated requests from the State, including from the Chief Minister, the stance remained unchanged. Hence, we agreed to take the VGF as a loan, though our position remains the same. Under the revised agreement, construction will be completed earlier than expected, and revenue generation will begin sooner. There's no need for further land acquisition for the next phases of development.'

He refuted speculation of political conflict, stating, 'There is no conflict between the Centre and the State. The central and state government advertisements will appear separately. This is being inaugurated as part of Kerala government's annual celebrations--what's wrong with stating that? It's not a CPI(M)-BJP project; it's a joint effort by both governments.'

Commenting on the participation from the opposition, he said, 'Whether the Leader of the Opposition will attend is yet to be confirmed. The project has acknowledged the contributions made during the Oommen Chandy government. While the Left did not agree to the original agreement, the real construction began during the LDF tenure. The Vizhinjam port project required strong will--and it was the LDF government that acted decisively, modifying the agreement and driving the project forward.' (ANI)