VASCO: The Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) Chairman I Jeyakumar on Tuesday said that Cochin shipyard which is keen on taking over the yard presently occupied by the now defunct Western India Shipyard Limited (WISL) may absorb some of the qualified WISL employees who wish to join them.
“Cochin Shipyard has shown their keen interest in setting up a ship repair /ship building facility at the yard which is presently with WISL. They are also very open and may also take qualified manpower. Though I cannot assure on behalf of Cochin shipyard, but there is an indication from them that they would absorb some of the qualified WISL employees who wish to join them. I will also inform them (Cochin Shipyard) about the availability of labour here,” Jeyakumar said.
On evicting WISL from the yard, he said, “We have already started the process to evict the WISL. Since last one and half year we have been following up the matter with WISL management and even with the Sahara shipping management. However, both these managements failed to respond to us.”
“Now, we have approached the Bombay High Court in Mumbai petitioning that WISL’s floating dry dock and M V Qing (both grounded at WISL yard) be declared as wrecks in light of the threat they pose to the environment and the wrecks then can be auctioned to recover our dues,” he said.
He informed that the lease deed between MPT and WISL management would expire on April next year and MPT wants to clear the yard by February or March so that the site can be handed over to Cochin Shipyard or any other ship building/ repair company so that the port can be used in better way.
Jeyakumar said that there was a huge potential for ship repair activities on the West Coast and considering same, Cochin shipyard which is also under the ministry of shipping has shown its willingness to start a ship repair facility at the yard presently in possession of WISL.
Though MPT and Cochin shipyard are holding discussions on the subject, he said, the latter has informed MPT that it would make a formal proposal only if all the encumbrances are cleared.
“They want us to handover the yard without any encumbrances. This is the first step where we will clear everything by March- April and then we will be handover the yard to operator and there would be new ship building/repair yard operating from the land presently in possession of WISL management,” he said.
