Uncertainty leaves many barge owners in the lurch
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Uncertainty over the revival of iron ore mining in Goa forced nearly a hundred barge owners either to pull out from Goa and search for new business location in India and abroad or to sellscrap their vessels.
Moreover, poor conditions of the barges and non generation of revenue to repair vessels is a worrying situation for the barge operators, who are now in a dilemma whether their vessels would be able to carry the iron ore, once transportation of ore begins after e-auction, which is scheduled in the first week of February.
The captain of ports department which is currently in the process of drafting a presentation, to be tabled before the Supreme Court-appointed expert committee on iron ore capping, would be producing these facts before it
Captain of Ports James Braganza said that so far nearly 100 barges have either moved out of Goa or India in search of business or have sold out their vessels or scrapped them. He said that applications are coming thick and fast for scrapping of vessels. Some barges have been moved to Maharashtra, Gujarat and even Indonesia and Kuwait.
According to the barge owners association, there are nearly 305 barges whose owners have a loan liability of Rs 360 crore. Braganza said that several barges have been laid out as the owners have no money to repair them, as all their savings goes in paying the loan dues.
“There is a worry amongst the barge owners that failure to repair their vessels might take away their business when mining resumes. There is a doubt whether the vessels would be in good condition to transport ore that would be auctioned,” he said.
The state government has not provided any financial assistance to the barge owners like the truck owners, though Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had assured to do so.
