Land at Azheekal for ship-repair complex

KOCHI: Unable to provide land at Vizhinjam as desired by the Cochin Shipyard for setting up a ship-repair complex, the state government may soon come up with a proposal offering land for the same at Azheekal in North Kerala. Highly placed sources in the Port Department said the government would soon begin discussions with the CSL officials in this regard. “The state government could not provide the required land for the purpose at Vizhinjam. However, the government would be able to offer around 100-150 acres of land at Azheekal. The government has been seriously considering this option. Soon the state government officials will hold talks with Cochin Shipyard in this regard,” said officials with the State Ports Department. The government will  only provide land for the project. However, officials with the CSL said they have not been informed about the offer in Azheekal.As part of its expansion plans, the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) had earlier submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the Kerala government for setting up a ship-repair-cum-maintenance complex at Vizhinjam near the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) project.  However the project didn’t move further as the government was not able to provide land. The CSL prefers Vizhinjam for the shipyard/ship-repair-yard because of its proximity to the international port.  The proposed shipyard/ ship-repair complex, which will have world-class facility, is expected to give impetus to the country’s attempt to emerge as a major ship-building/repair hub in the region.Meanwhile, Ports Minister K Babu maintained that the government was yet to finalise the matter. “The Cochin Shipyard is interested in land at Vizhinjam. The availability of land is an issue. The Union Government has agreed to provide nod for a the development of a port and shipyard/ship maintenance complex project in the state. We have been considering various options including Azheekal. At present, we are in the process of finalising,” the Minister said. The state government is currently in the process of developing a couple of minor ports in the state.