TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The abandoned transhipper M T Pratibha Bheema, which has been declared as a ‘nuisance’ by the tourism department, will be auctioned on Friday, April 4 as per the directives of Bombay High Court.
The oil tanker is currently anchored 8 nautical miles off Miramar beach.
The Richardson Ericsson of Vasco was appointed to assess the value of the oil tanker and the report would be submitted to Sheriff of Mumbai, who will conduct the public auction.
The Mormugao Port Trust had approached the Bombay High Court requesting for removal and auction of the ship so that Goa ports are not affected.
The vessel is owned by Pratibha Shipping Ltd, Mumbai. The vessel carrying around 300 tonnes of crude oil has been anchored in Goan waters for over a year, after the shipping company went bankrupt at the end of 2012.
The oil tanker Pratibha Bheema, which was lying stranded 12 nautical miles off the Goa coast in the Arabian Sea and was towed to MPT’s berth in May 2013 by the state government, and then shifted within the jurisdiction of Panjim port in September 2013.
Captain of ports had alerted the tourism department about the potential danger the vessel poses if not towed away before the 2014 monsoons.
The tourism department had received the complaint in December 2013. Accordingly, a show cause notice was issued to the shipping company in January and February 2014.
