Pay performance guarantee, Govt reminds Arihant
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 8
Tourism Department on Tuesday shot a reminder to M/s Arihant Ship Breakers, a Mumbai based company, to pay performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore.
The Mumbai-based company was awarded with the contract to break and remove the grounded M V River Princess off Candolim beach in November last year after it emerged as the lowest bidder with its quote of Rs 99 crore.
The ship-breaking company was asked to pay the performance guarantee four weeks back, however, it is yet to pay the same. The Tourism Department sent a reminder to the Mumbai office of the company on Tuesday, said a tourism official who did not want to be named.The officer said the government will not sign the agreement with the company unless performance guarantee was paid. “In the past we have got into trouble for signing an agreement before obtaining the performance guarantee,” he added.
However, he said it was not known why the company has not paid the performance guarantee till date, even as it has started mobilising the equipment and machinery required to break the vessel which has been grounded off the beach for a decade now.
Before signing the agreement with the company the government also has to ensure it has clearance from the Customs Department for demarcating Britona Jetty as the ‘Customs Point.’ Parts of the broken ship will be moved to Britona via sea to be moved elsewhere.
Meantime, the department is also in the process of obtaining required permissions from various authorities including the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
