Minister allays fears over Enayam port

A representative from DMK claimed that the fishermen were worried that the port would pave the way for entry of large ships into the region and would affect their livelihood as the large ships would destroy the boats and nets of the fishermen. 

In reply, Radhakrishnan said it would bring development to the entire region and would in no way affect the livelihood of the fishermen. He appealed to all the political parties to support the project. He said a Spain-based company carried out a survey in Kanniyakumari district and selected four spots for setting up the port, and Enayam was the best suited for the  project. 

Work on the project to come up at a total cost of Rs. 27,570 crore, would commence in 2017 and would be completed in 2030 in three phases, he said. In the first 2017-2020 phase, Rs 6,575 crore would be spent and two container terminals would be set up. In the final phase, from 2026 to 2030 Rs. 9,458 crore would be spent and three container terminals would be built, the Minister said. S Anantha Chandra Bose, Chairman, VOC Port Trust, Thoothukudi, S. Natarajn, Officer in Charge of Enayam Port, also participated in the meeting.