The stalled construction of the Arthunkal fishing harbour will be revived.

 

Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman said the work would be restarted in September.

 

“The Harbour Engineering Department has prepared a revised estimate and reduced the length of breakwater to 450m. However, we examined it in detail and decided to construct the breakwater as per the initial design in 600 metres,” Mr. Thilothaman said.

 

The Minister said the project was delayed after the Centre failed to approve the revised estimate of the project.

₹110 crore sought 

“The State government had asked for an amount of ₹110 crore from the Centre, but Union government was not ready to sanction that much. The State government then approached the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), as the bank had agreed to finance the project in three phases. We will submit the detailed project report to the NABARD next week,” the Minister said.

 

The Minister on Friday held a meeting with the representatives of the Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.

Fishermen, under the aegis of the federation, were on a protest path for the past 28 days demanding the construction of the fishing harbour.