Centre has not given a single rupee for Vizhinjam port construction, alleges Balagopal

A view of India’s first semi-automated port at Vizhinjam.

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on Wednesday said the State government has made the Vizhinjam International seaport a reality despite the fact that the Centre has not given even a single rupee for the project.

The Centre has continuously been denying deserved allocations to the State, but Kerala could make remarkable achievements in various sectors despite being financially choked by the Union government, he told reporters here on Wednesday.

While mentioning the achievements of the State government in the infrastructure sector, the Minister said the Kerala government has made the Vizhinjam port, one of the largest such ports in the world, a reality without any Central assistance. “The Centre has not given even a single rupee for the construction of the Vizhinjam port,” he said.