Frustrated by the slow pace of work, the state government had served a notice on the Adani Group demanding Rs 19 crore as compensation for the delay. Kochi: A judicial commission looking into the contract to build the Vizhinjam international port has wondered whether the Kerala government would be asked to own up the liabilities created by Adani Ports.
Justice C N Ramachandran said that the government did not have to be this investor-friendly when it signed the deal with the conglomerate, referring to a provision in the contract which allowed the private operator to mortgage government land.
The company representatives, however, said that they had no plan to mortgage land to raise funds for the project.
Frustrated by the slow pace of work, the state government had served a notice on the Adani Group demanding Rs 19 crore as compensation for the delay.
The commission also expressed its frustration over the absence of three persons who had alleged corruption in the deal. C R Neelakandan, John Joseph and Saleem did not turn up for the crucial sitting of the commission on Tuesday.
Neelakandan had asked the commission for more time to peruse the documents. Though the commission had given him a week’s time, he did not turn up on Tuesday. The commission said that it did not intend to summon any parties.
The commission will visit the project site at Vizhinjam on May 14. The next sitting is scheduled at the Government Guest House at Thycaud near Thiruvananthapuram on May 15.
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