Kerala Ports Minister faces flak from fishermen over compensation

Kerala Ports Minister Ahammed Devarkovil on Wednesday faced opposition from a group of people while attending an event at Kovalam here related to compensating fishermen in connection with the Vizhinjam port project.

A small crowd of fishermen who were dissatisfied with the list of compensation beneficiaries had gathered outside the event venue and prevented his vehicle from entering there, an officer of Kovalam police station said.

"The police acted swiftly to prevent any untoward incident, cleared the crowd and ensured the minister's vehicle entered the venue," the officer said.

The officer also said that the minister attended the event and then left without any further incident.

No case was registered in connection with the incident nor was anyone taken into custody, police said.

The Vizhinjam port is being constructed, at a cost of Rs 7,700 crore, under the public-private partnership model.

The Adani Group is the private partner in the development of what will become one of the largest ports in the world, once commissioned.

The project, scheduled to be commissioned in 2019, was delayed due to issues with land acquisition.

Fishermen carried out violent protests opposing it, alleging that the port would adversely affect their livelihood.