Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that his government would not allow the Vizhinjam port project to go astray merely because some people chose to raise baseless allegations against it.

In a response during question hour in the State Assembly on Monday, he said that the interests of the state will be protected while implementing the prestigious project.

The Chief Minister also said that his government was willing to consider views of the Opposition in the matter.

It had agreed to disagree with the government on several aspects of the tendering process at an all-party meeting held here on June 3.

Crucial project

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition VS Achuthanandan said such a big and crucially important project cannot be gifted on a platter to anybody whom the government has a liking for.

He reiterated the Opposition demand that the project should be implemented in the public sector. The state’s interests should not be sacrificed while selecting a concessionaire from the private sector.

Achuthanandan was referring to the sole bid put up by Adani Ports and SEZ for the project which is reportedly in the last stages ahead of being handed over.

Blames opposition

The Chief Minister taunted the Opposition saying that it was playing politics in view of the by-election to the Aruvikkara Assembly constituency slated for June 27.

Its demands amounted to no more than posturing and were aimed at denying credit to his government with respect to decisive action on Vizhinjam project.

The progress at Vizhinjam must have been galling to M Vijayakumar, its candidate at Aruvikkara and a ports minister with the previous Left Front government, who could not push the project.

Now, it wants to stall the project and deny the credit due to us, the Chief Minister said.