TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Officials of M/s Arihant Ship Breakers have agreed to remove the remaining portion of River Princess grounded off the Candolim coast on June 5, 2000.
Tourism Director, Nikhil Dessai told media that representatives from the ship breaking firm had met him and said that they would complete the work, after their bluff of having completed the work was called by the National Institute of Oceanography in its report which pointed out that around 6,000 tonnes of steel was still lying at the site.
Officials said that the company had removed 11,400 metric tonnes which had been sold in the market for around Rs 10 crore and claimed to have completed the work.
The registered light ship weight of River Princess has been recorded as 18,729 tonnes in the Permanent Certificate Registry and registered in the Republic of Liberia.
It may be recalled that in 2011, the then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat appointed Arihant Ship Breakers to clear the rusted derelict hull.
After initial work, and clearing of the top part as well as the sale of some Rs 10 crore worth of scrap, the Mumbai firm claimed that the ship was totally removed and claimed the entire payment of Rs 99 plus service tax.
Apparently, the survey that certified that the vessel was totally removed was done by using site scan sonar and not a magnetometer.
