Adani Ports and SEZ private Ltd, which is developing the Vizhinjam International Seaport near here, today offered Rs five lakh each to the families of those killed in the Ockhi cyclone that hit the Kerala coast in November last year.
The decision was taken during a meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Adani Ports SEZ CEO Karan Adani here.
More than 70 persons, mostly fishermen, had lost their lives in the cyclone.
The Kerala government had already announced a financial assistance of Rs 22 lakh each to be families of the victims while the Centre Rs 2 lakh each, an official release said.
The meeting between Vijayan Karan Adani assumes significance in the wake of the company seeking an extension of contract period for the completion of the Rs 7,525 crore project.
The government had stated in the assembly that it would not accept the arguments put forward by the company for the extension of contract period.
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The company had pointed out the damage caused to the dredgers in the Ockhi cyclone and shortage of granite as the reason for extending the period.
The agreement for the project was signed with M/S Adani Vizhinjam Port Limited during the previous UDF rule and the company started construction on December 5, 2015.
As per the contract agreement, the port is scheduled to be completed by December 4, 2019.
The Vizhinjam seaport project, designed primarily to cater to container trans-shipment besides multi-purpose and break bulk cargo, is being developed by Kerala government in collaboration with the Adani Group.