PANJIM: The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to allot the tender for cutting and removal of River Princess from its grounded place at Candolim to M/s Salgaoncar Mining Industries Ltd, but have imposed stiff various conditions.
Sources in the cabinet said the government would seek a bank guarantee of ` 10 crore from the successful bidder M/s Salgaoncar Mining Industries at the time of signing a formal contract for removal of the vessel, which has been lying grounded for over 10 years.
The government has also said the company could cut and sell the scrap of the vessel but the amount received from the trade thereof should be deposited with the Bombay High Court, which could be released by the court after the last piece of the vessel was removed from the grounded place of the vessel.
The sources further said that M/s Salgaoncar informed the government that they were ready to remove the vessel by cutting it free of cost and also agreed to give a guarantee of ` 1 crore. But the government will seek a bank guarantee of ` 10 crore. The company management also gave up its demand for vesting the ownership of the vessel to it. These facts were put before the court which directed the government to take appropriate decision in the matter.
Earlier in the day, there was a sort of high drama at the meeting of the Goa State Disaster Management Authority with the River Princess Hatao Manch putting its proposal for removal of the vessel stating that M/s Salgaoncar would not execute the work properly and abandon it after some time, said the sources in the government.
All the issues were then placed before the GSDMA, which sent minutes of its meeting to the Advocate General, Mr Subodh Kantak, who in turn sent the file to the cabinet after putting his remarks. The issue was deliberated at the cabinet meeting and a decision was arrived to give first preference to M/s Salgaoncar, said the sources.
The cabinet also decided to relocate the seven permitted floating casinos with three of them being moved upstream towards Ribandar, while four other would be located in Mandovi (two each on Panaji and Betim side), said the sources in the cabinet. (NT)
This ugly princess of death will be lying there for another 10 years to take more lives. why not make it part of guided tours? At least some revenue will come out of it for somebody's pockets. It just goes to show our governments competency in dealing with disasters.
ReplyDeleteStiff conditions? This princess is already stiff and it is going to stay that way for another 10 years or maybe more Diogo. Somebody's pockets are already hanging down with the load of revenue.
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