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The proposed Vizhinjam Seaport Terminal project here would bring direct and indirect economic benefits to the region, create new job opportunities and serve vital national security interests, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has said in a letter to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
CII state council chairman C J George, in a statement here said the Confederation had urged the Centre that the project be given the required clearance for it to be commissioned at the earliest.
The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests is slated to consider a state government request for green clearance for the project.
The CII said in a letter to the Ministry that the project would significantly improve the country's link to the global economy by decerasing the cost of transporting goods into and out of India.
By acting as a gateway to global trade, CII recognised that it would facilitate Thiruvananthapuram and surrounding regions for manufacturing industries and logistics businesses.
With the government incorporating a cruise terminal in the port design, the Kerala economy also would benefit by way of tourism as the facility would attract thousands of tourists, the CII said in the letter.
