The Adani Ports executive director Karan Adani, son of Group chairman Gautham Adani, will lead a four-member delegation to formally call on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to signal the conglomerate’s acceptance of the State government’s Letter of Award for the Rs. 7,000-crore Vizhinjam Deep-sea International Transhipment Container Terminal, even as the government went into an overdrive to allay fears about cabotage concessions for the port.
Speaking to The Hindu , Ports and Excise Minister K. Babu said that the group will hold discussions with the Chief Minister in his chamber in the State Assembly at 12 noon.
The discussion will be basically on the dates for signing the contract agreement and the foundation-stone laying ceremony. Mr. Babu allayed fears about the project not getting cabotage concessions. He said that the necessary clearances can be got by the time the project is commissioned.
He said that the Chief Minister and the ports department had earlier lobbied for concessions under the cabotage laws and the government would approach the Centre again.
As per the letter of award, the Adanis are required to sign the agreement within 45 days, but this would be completed within 30 days. The Adani Ports Ltd. is required to provide the contracted bank guarantee of Rs. 150 crore to the State government prior to signing the agreement. All these procedures would be completed in such a manner so as to hold the foundation stone laying ceremony on November 1.
