Ship maintenance centre for Kochi

KOCHI: Fisheries and Ports Minister K Babu Friday said the state government has signed an MoU with the Centre for setting up a ship maintenance centre at an investment of Rs 700 crore at Wellington Island here today.

Announcing this at a media briefing, he said the decision was arrived at the ongoing Emerging Kerala 2012. The MoU was signed by Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan. The centre would be set up on 45 acres of land, owned by Cochin Port Trust, he said. He said Vasan also assured that central assistance would be given to the proposed Vizhinjam port. Besides this, the centre also would look into the possibilities of transforming the Vizhinjam light house as a tourist sport. Necessary financial assistance would be given for the purpose, he added.

Babu said the government had received clearance for setting up a Maritime Board for which the final approval would be given at the next cabinet meeting. Once the Board comes into force, all works relating to the deelopment of ports would be looked into by it, he added.