Manch to submit proposal on Princess removal
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, SEPT 28
With Salgaocar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd (SMIPL), declining to tender bank guarantee of Rs 10 crore, as a pre-condition for removal of M V River Princess, the Tourism Department has now asked River Princess Hatao Manch (RPHM) to submit its detailed proposal for removal of the stranded vessel.
The Tourism Director Swapnil Naik told Herald on Tuesday that they have asked RPHM to give its proposal in next few days.
It may be recalled that RPHM had offered to remove River Princess after SMIPL showed disinclination on the condition of bank guarantee.
The SMIPL offered to remove the vessel free of cost when the government had almost finalised Singaporean Company, M/s Titan Salvage to remove the vessel.
M/s Titan Salvage had agreed to remove the vessel within a period of six months with tender cost of Rs 125 crore.
It had also agreed to pay a bank guarantee of Rs 12.5 crore while SMIPL has offered only Rs 1 crore as bank guarantee.
The government decided to give priority to SMIPL after it made the offer to do the job free of cost.
A petition pertaining to River Princess is pending before High Court wherein the court on September 8 directed the State to commence the removal work of River Princess within two months.
