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| Goa port expresses security concerns, fears loss of revenue |
| Press Trust of India / Panaji Aug 03, 2009, 14:02 IST |
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A major port on the western coast has expressed concern that merchant and passenger ships will stop calling at its facility due to security issues.
Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), a port since 1885, today said that existence of a fishing jetty within its jurisdiction and close vicinity of the berth may force it into troubles.
"The frequent criss-crossing and operation of a large number of fishing boats and trawlers has resulted in Captains of visiting ships expressing concern about the security scene in the MPT," port trust chairman Praveeen Agarwal said.
The port trust has issued a notice in local newspapers expressing their fear to lose revenue due to existence of this jetty within its jurisdiction.
"Such a fishing jetty has to be at a permanent location outside Vasco bay (which houses the port), otherwise MPT will lose its International Merchant Ships Facility and Port Security (ISPS) code compliance and merchant and passenger ships will stop calling at Mormugao Harbour completely," he said.
Agarwal said recently an international passenger cruise ship left the Mormugao habour within few hours of berthing due to the insecurity caused by fishing trawlers and boats.
He said that ISPS compliance of MPT has also been questioned due to close proximity of the jetty to berths number 10 and 11 and due to large number of fishing vessels operating in the port operational waters.
International merchant ships and cruise passenger ships will not call at ports which do not comply with the ISPS code, Agarwal said.
The Chairman pointed out that MPT had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 1998 to shift the jetty outside the port jurisdiction.
"The tripartite agreement was signed between Goa government, MPT and Goa fishing boat owners association," he said.
Meanwhile, rubbishing that an MoU has been signed with the MPT, the state government said that fishermen cannot be moved from the existing jetty till they are given a proper facility as promised by the port.
"The MoU is yet to be signed with MPT. They will have to immediately shift the fishermen to temporary jetty within the port jurisdiction and later construct a jetty at Baina bay," state fisheries minister Joaquim Alemao said.
He said that the MPT has assured to construct Rs 150 crore worth jetty which will help the fishermen to move away from the port.
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