TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The government proposal passed in November 2010 to start a passenger liner service on the Goa-Mumbai-Goa sea route on public private partnership model is still lying in limbo.
The then Congress government had passed the proposal to start the service on PPP model. Three years down the line, there seems to be no headway in this regard.
Despite cabinet nod and directions to the PPP cell to draft the request for proposal document, nothing has been done so far, confirmed Port Administration chief James Braganza. Maharashtra Government, which had also shown interest in the proposal, pulled out later.
The passenger liner service between Goa and Mumbai stopped almost 25 years back. Few private parties sent their proposals to the government offering to restart the service on a PPP model in 2010. Mumbai-based shipping company, Samudra Link Ferry Shipping & Cruise Services Pvt. Ltd, lost interest following lack of response and support from the State government.
“The company wanted to restart the project on PPP model as it was not viable for them to launch it alone. Later they lost interest as the government was moving at a snail’s pace in the matter,” a senior official attached to State Ministry of Port Administration said.
“The proposal is unlike to take shape in future,” the official added. The company had initially proposed to press into service a marine vessel with 224 berths and 203 chairs. Depending on the response, it had also planned to induct a larger ship.
PPP cell chief Anand Sherkhane was not available for comment. A source attached to the cell said “we are not aware about any such proposal”.
It is learnt that a document was drafted to invite expression of interest from reputed shipping companies, shipping operators, agents, semi-government and government agencies having proven experience in the field of handling such type of operations/services for re-commencing the passenger liner service. However it was not made public.
