Bids to remove Princess within a week: govt
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 17
It appears in the midst of allegations and counter allegations, the award of tender for removal of M V River Princess has been delayed even as the State government in-principle had decided to award the contract to M/s Titan Salvage, a Singapore based company.
The State government on Wednesday however told the Bombay High Court at Goa that it will take a decision on tendering process for awarding the work for removing stranded River Princess within a week’s time.
Advocate General (AG) Subodh Kantak made the statement before a division bench of Justices A S Oka and F M Reis that was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by River Princess Hatao Manch (RPHM) complaining about environmental degradation caused by the stranded vessel during the last 10 years.
Through an application, the RPHM had also complained that measures undertaken to stop erosion of the beach has not been effective and suggested interlocking boulders system be implemented along the Sinquerim beach stretch to prevent further sand erosion.
The AG told the court that the system suggested by the RPHM is not feasible for Sinquerim but the Ministry of Environment & Forest has forwarded several suggestions to the State government to stop further sand erosion.
The application moved by Salgaocar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd, saying it is ready to undertake the work for removal of the grounded vessel by bearing entire cost of the operation was also taken up for hearing today.
Advocate Mahesh Sonak who represented the applicant, told the court that the vessel cannot be refloated at this stage and the best option would be to cut it into five pieces which could be then towed away easily seawards.
Sonak also submitted that the company would take up the work free of cost and, is also ready to deposit whatever performance guarantee that the government orders . ‘We’ll also take due care to abide with environmental safeguards while removing the vessel,” he said.
The AG said the government would take a decision on awarding the tender within a week’s time and till then the petition filed by Salgaocars could be decided by the court. However, he said in its affidavit the company has made several baseless allegations against the government and the court should take notice of this.
The division bench observed that the company should either apologise or withdraw the affidavit in question. Sonak responded saying he would withdraw the affidavit and file a fresh one on the next date of hearing.
The court has also directed the government to place before it, the decision about award of tender for removing the grounded vessel on the next date of hearing that has been fixed for August 24.
