Kerala labour minister Bindu Krishna on Saturday inspected facilities at the Kollam Port to assess infrastructure requirements and to directly consult with the public, port authorities and local representatives ahead of key discussions on the future of Vizhinjam’s satellite port.
The Kerala government has finalised plans for the development of Kollam Port as a “satellite port” for Vizhinjam. A satellite port is one located near a bigger, bustling port, sharing some of its cargo load, helping decongest it, and more importantly, functioning together as a unit, which is vital to the Sagarmala programme.
Kerala labour minister Bindu Krishna’s visit to Kollam Port comes just weeks after the state government gave in-principle approval for its development under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of Rs 15.15 crore. Kollam Port’s development is part of Kerala’s Rs 400 crore Mission Samudra project, with the Rs 15.15 crore project, partly funded by the Sagarmala programme, already underway.
Kollam Mayor A.K. Hafeez, Deputy Mayor Udaya Sukumaran, Port Officer Jisman Jacob, and other officials joined the minister for the inspection. She explained that the port’s requirements would be brought to the immediate attention of the Ports department and Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, after which a high-level review meeting will take place in Thiruvananthapuram next week.
“Kollam Port had received virtually no attention over the past decade,” she said.
Kollam Port, historically a minor port, has remained underutilized despite its strategic location between Kochi and Vizhinjam, with limited dredging, inadequate infrastructure and regulatory bottlenecks persisting since 2016.
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