TEAM HERALD
PANJIM/CALANGUTE: Arihant, the contractors, who are to remove the final bits of the ill-fated M V River Princess wreckage from Candolim seabed, have brought in small and large cranes to begin operations. A barge and smaller vessels with manpower are busy conducting exercises for smooth removal of shipwreck under supervision of government appointed Monitoring Agency.
“The work has not yet begun but we are getting ready with all the equipment, etc. We have brought in two cranes; one big and small, a towing vessel, barge for transfer of removed debris, small vessels, etc.” informed an Arihant official.
When asked as to when the work on removal of debris will start the official shot back saying “Only our boss can tell you” and declined details either of the boss or the operations.
Fermino Fernandes, ex-sarpanch of Candolim and Convenor of River Princess Hatao Manch also confirmed that Arihant is yet to get the work orders for removing the debris.
When Herald reporter visited the salvage site at Candolim, the officials of Arihant were in the process of shifting the required material onto a ship. Huge sealed pack cartons were seen on the shores of Candolim waiting for the transfer vessel.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told media Thursday that the removal of the River Princess would be completed before the rains.
“They have already begun the work. We haven’t paid them a pie as yet and I can assure you that they will not get any money unless we have an NIO certificate that the entire debris has been removed,” Parulekar told media persons, something that is contrary to the actual happenings on the site.
Arihant Ship breakers have won the Rs 100 crore contract from the Goa government to break and take away the River Princess. Work had begun last year and the company claimed to have finished the work until an NIO report claimed that there was metal scrap still below the seabed.
