SC allows moving INS Vikrant to Darukhana ship breaking yard

The Supreme Court Friday allowed the Indian Navy to move out the decommissioned INS Vikrant - the country's first aircraft carrier - from Mumbai naval dockyard to Darukhana ship breaking yard.

The apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice A.K. Sikri allowed shifting of the 70-year-old aircraft carrier after the government told the court that Vikrant was in a condition of extreme obsolescence and deterioration and could no longer be repaired or refurbished.

The government plea to relocate INS Vikrant was opposed by activist Kiran Paigankar, who questioned the safety of the ship in its new berthing place. He said the naval dockyard was the safest place.

Paigankar moved the apex court seeking conversion of INS Vikrant into a museum and the court, issuing notice on his plea May 5, had ordered status quo.

Paigankar urged the court not to allow the government to relocate INS Vikrant as Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has earmarked Rs.100 crore for its upkeep and has also passed a resolution to this effect.

He urged the court that he be allowed to undertake periodic inspection of INS Vikrant at its new berthing place. The court said inspection of such carriers was not within the competence of average people and needed experts.

The government sought that the status quo order be vacated saying that it only wanted to relocate INS Vikrant and not dismantle it.

The government said: "Since its (Vikrant) hull is over 70-year-old and due to extreme obsolescence and deterioration, the INS Vikrant can no longer be repaired or refurbished."

The IB Commercial Pvt. Ltd., which bought the INS Vikrant in an auction in January 2014, will move Vikrant to the Darukhana ship breaking yard Friday itself. Counsel for the IB Commercial Pvt. Ltd sought to raise the issue regarding the payment of custom duty.

The keel of the country's first aircraft carrier, earlier known as HMS Hercules in the British Royal Navy, was laid Oct 14, 1943 and it was launched in 1945.

It was bought by India in 1957 and was commissioned in the navy Feb 16, 1959. Vikrant was decommissioned Jan 31, 1997.

The government informed the court that the aircraft carrier was in a precarious condition and could suffer extensive damage, including sinking during monsoon, thereby posing serious safety related risks to the dockyard.

In its application seeking vacation of status quo order, the government told the court that there was an acute shortage of berths for new ships that are being inducted in the navy and further delay in removing Vikrant is likely to "impact upon national security and operational readiness".

It also pointed out that the space currently occupied by INS Vikrant was "immediately required" in the interest of national security as five to six large ships could be anchored in that space.