MP for Dakshina Kannada Capt. Brijesh Chowta has charged the State government of delaying the execution of the dedicated jetty project for Lakshadweep at the Old Mangaluru Port that was sanctioned under the Central government’s flagship Sagarmala scheme.

His statement comes after the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways categorised the ₹65-crore project under the ‘deemed deferred category’, because of the inordinate delay as informed by Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in December last year.

Raising the issue under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Capt. Chowta said the project was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s larger vision of port-led development under the Sagarmala scheme, which has brought much-needed attention and investment to India’s coastal infrastructure and maritime connectivity.

He said the Lakshadweep jetty project was announced under the Sagarmala Phase I on July 20, 2022. The then BJP government in Karnataka took up the matter on a priority basis, issued tenders in August and December 2022 and January 2023. The contract was awarded on March 29, 2023.

Environmental clearance

Capt. Chowta further said, “However, since the Congress government came to power in May 2023, the project has seen little to no movement. Its importance has been diluted, and progress stalled.“

He said that he had raised the issue during the Winter Session of 2024 and only after continued follow ups did the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance is granted on February 27 by the Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority. Even now, while the project was taken up by the State Expert Appraisal Committee on June 20, the environmental clearance remains pending, and the file continues to be held up in the State system.

Capt. Chowta also highlighted the issue of dredging, which is essential for the jetty’s operational success. Though a dredging contract was awarded with seven-year validity, the agency concerned failed to maintain the required draft or carry out timely dredging, leading to recurring problems, especially during monsoons.

He said that he had raised the issue in the recent DISHA meeting, along with MLA for Mangaluru City South D. Vedavyasa Kamath, urging the State government to expedite the works.

Maritime corridor

Seeking intervention of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways in expediting the work, Capt. Chowta said the project is not just about connectivity – it holds strategic importance for coastal security, for strengthening the Lakshadweep–Mangaluru maritime corridor, and for boosting economic activity in the region.