A stakeholders’ meet organised by the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) here on Thursday called upon the State and Union governments to consider the inclusion of Beypore port development projects under the Centre’s Sagarmala initiative.
People’s representatives who addressed the event said the proposed dredging works for facilitating the entry of large vessels could have been completed in time if funds had been allocated under the Sagarmala scheme.
Speaking on the occasion, Elamaram Kareem, MP, said the slow approach of the Union government towards the State’s infrastructure development schemes largely affected the growth prospects of the Beypore port. He said it was high time that the Centre intervened in the issue.
Meanwhile, M.K. Raghavan, MP, said it was the laxity on the part of the State government in submitting a masterplan to the Centre that affected the growth prospects of the port. “When I raised the issue in Parliament, I got a reply that no master plan had been submitted,” he said.
Former Ports Minister Ahammad Devarkovil said the claims related to the masterplan were baseless as it had already been prepared for required action. Mayor Beena Philip pointed out that the status of Kozhikode as a port city remained ignored without any priority treatment.
Industrial experts observed that it was the flaws in preparing a proper estimate that affected the development plans for the port. The issues could be settled on completion of a proper study and the preparation of a revised master plan, they said.
Some participants at the meeting sought the speedy resumption of passenger ship service connecting Beypore with Lakshadweep. They also appealed to CCCI functionaries to convene one more meeting in the presence of the ministers concerned to take up development concerns.
CCCI president Vineesh Vidhyadharan presided over the meeting. Port Officer Hari Achutha Varrier and Registrar of the National Institute of Technology, Calicut M.S. Shamasundara were among those who addressed the event.
