Nitin Gadkari assured Road Solution for Vizhinjam International Seaport in 10 Days

NEW DELHI : Union minister for Road, Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has assured Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor that the uncertainty over the construction of a road connecting Vizhinjam International Seaport to the NH66 will be resolved within 10 days. Shri Gadkari gave this assurance in his response to the issue raised by Tharoor in the Lok Sabha.

The road connecting the Vizhinjam port to NH66 is important for the effective movement of goods, particularly containers, in and out of the port. The proposed inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport next month heightens the need for this infrastructural development. According to Tharoor, unless the road and rail connectivity are available for the movement of containers, the port cannot be utilized at its potential as a major maritime hub.

Tharoor laid particular stress on making robust connectivity for the port by stating that the port will definitely play a pivotal role in uplifting the economic growth of the region by providing easier and smooth trade flows across India and globally. It will only hamper the free movement of goods, thus hindering the capabilities of the port.

Shri Gadkari said that he completely agree with Tharoor’s assessment of the matter and that the road must be developed for the prosperity of the port. Long discussions on the construction of the road, the Union Minister revealed, have been held by him with Kerala’s Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, in the last few days. This means everyone will pull his weight to treat the issue on time.

The confidence by Gadkari will ensure that once the port is launched full-scale, it will begin functioning effectively because of the timely completion of the road construction, which has made easy the transportation of items into and out of it to ensure that processes within it are efficient for competitiveness at the global level.

Tharoor expressed gratitude to the Union minister for adopting a favourable stance on this critical issue concerning the port and stated that he would continue to assess the progress of efforts to connect Vizhinjam with rail and road networks and take necessary actions.