Salgaonkar Mining gets govt nod to remove Princess
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 30
Neither M/s Titan Salvage nor M/s Madgaonkar Salvage but M/s Salgaonkar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd, (SMIPL) gets the first preference to remove the grounded M V River Princess off Candolim beach.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) headed by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday decided to give first chance to SMIPL to remove the vessel even as earlier it had almost finalised on Singaporean company, M/s Titan Salvage which had offered to remove the vessel by breaking it into pieces within a period of six months at a tender cost of Rs 125 crore.
Last week, the Advisory Committee after considering opinions of legal advisors in-principle had decided that Titan Salvage would be the best option to remove the River Princess.
But the decision of the SDMA tilted in favour of SMIPL as it has offered to remove the vessel free of cost. The High Court will be appraised of the development on Tuesday when it takes up for hearing a PIL of River Princess Hatao Manch (RPHM).
Speaking to Herald Calangute MLA, Agnelo Fernandes immediately after the meeting, said in view of conflicting legal opinions about tendering process and Salgaonkar’s offer to remove the vessel for free, it was decided that SMIPL be given a first preference.
However, the government will also negotiate with the two bidders M/s Titan Salvage and M/s Madgaonkar Salvage, which were finalised from the twelve bids that the Tourism Department had received in response to its tender in March this year. M/s SMIPL bid was rejected for not being in consonance with the tender conditions.
In its application before High Court, M/s SMIPL had also made its intension clear that it is willing to remove the vessel for free.
It must be recalled that M/s SMIPL had also released advertisements in the newspapers making allegations against the government saying the government had favoured certain parties in the tendering process.
While the government has decided to consider SMIPL for removing the vessel – it will also negotiate with other two bidders and the meeting has been called on Wednesday.
The government wants to keep other options ready in the event the proposal of SMIPL does not materialise, said Fernandes.
