The Kerala Government has been urged to expedite the development of Beypore port which has been pending for long, despite numerous studies having pointed to the significant contributions it can make to the development of Malabar region.
In a memorandum to the Minister for Ports, Mr K. Babu, Malabar Chamber of Commerce, has pointed out that Kochi port has become saturated and that the Vallarpadam terminal will only cater to big mother ships and container carriers. In these circumstances, there was an urgent need to develop small feeder ports in the State.
The movement of cargo from Kochi port and Vallarpadam container terminal to destinations in the Malabar region can be facilitated by the development of the Beypore port. That the development of small ports had played a major role in the growth of States like Gujarat and Maharashtra, should prompt taking firm steps to take the Beypore proposal ahead.
Development activities
The chamber notes that the port had seen some development activities in recent times, but they were all meant to boost the tourism potential of the area. But the movement of cargo should get priority over tourism in any port.
The Government should find the required land for the development of the port on a war-footing and prepare a comprehensive master plan. For one, the port should facilitate calling in of passenger ships from Gulf countries, as nearly two lakh people from the region work there and most of them are unable to fly home every year due to financial constraints.