9 cases slapped on Vizhinjam protesters, top priest among those booked

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Thiruvananthapuram: Police on Sunday registered several cases over the clash between those who oppose and support the Vizhinjam seaport project. The skirmishes happened on Saturday.

While they registered nine cases against the protest council that opposes the mega project, one FIR was filed against the people’s collective that supports it.

Among the cases filed against the protesters, priests including Vicar General Eugine H Pereira have also been named accused. Charges include attempt to murder, inciting riot and conspiracy.

Pereira is the vicar general of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram which is spearheading the protests.

Pereira said the clashes broke out after supporters of the project provoked the protesters. “A section of people pelted the protesters with stones and hurled abuses. The government colluded with him,” he alleged.

He said the protesters are ready to settle the matters but they want written assurance from the government.

The police said the FIRs have been registered only based on the complaints received.

The clashes broke out on Saturday as the protesters in front of the Vizhinjam seaport blocked the trucks carrying construction materials to the site.

The protesters had on November 22 assured the high court that they will not block any vehicles coming to the Vizhinjam seaport.

However, on Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the gate of the seaport, where the agitators blocked the road by erecting a shed across the road and stopped the vehicles.

Meanwhile, a set of locals who support the project also came and took on the agitators pointing out that there was a high court direction about the construction.

The high court had on November 22 warned the protesters that stern action will be taken against them if they failed to remove the obstructions.

The Adani Group, which is constructing the seaport, said the works restarted today based on a high court order.

The port, a Kerala government initiative, is currently being developed in a landlord model with a Public Private Partnership component on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis. The private partner, Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited, commenced the construction on December 5, 2015 with a cost of Rs 7,525 crore.

The Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport authorities had said that 70 percent of the work has now been completed.

The protesters have been demanding that the construction of the deepwater port be stopped and a proper environmental impact study should be carried out.

They have also put forward six other demands including rehabilitation of families who lost their homes to sea erosion, steps to mitigate coastal erosion, financial assistance to fisherfolk on days weather warnings are issued, compensation to families of those who lose their lives in fishing accidents, subsidised kerosene, and a mechanism to dredge the Muthalapozhi fishing harbour in Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Earlier, the state government had made it clear that almost all the demands of the protesters were met except the halting of the construction work at the port.



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