Cong demands audit of all vessels operating under CoP

PANAJI

Days after a passenger boat, MV K-Cat, caught fire while docked at the Malim Jetty in River Mandovi, the Congress party has demanded an immediate and comprehensive audit of all vessels operating under the Captain of Ports.

 Furthermore, the party has also demanded that the government make public the Public Safety Report without any delay. 

Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led state government and the Captain of Ports, holding them squarely responsible for gross negligence and complete lack of basic maritime safety infrastructure in the wake of the recent passenger boat fire incident.

Patkar said that the Captain has utterly failed to enforce even the most basic safety standards for vessels operating in Goan waters. 

"The recent incident, where a vessel caught fire, is a glaring example of the BJP government’s criminal disregard for public safety. Shockingly, there is no disaster management system in place for the state’s inland waterways. If anything goes wrong, the CoP is simply incapable of responding to a crisis," he said.

The GPCC President further exposed that the ill-fated cruise boat had no adequate firefighting system or trained crew on board..

Patkar also alleged that there is no Vessel Traffic System (VTS) or any tracking, monitoring, and guiding systems in place, as mandated under the ISPS code developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

Patkar pointed out that as per the Inland Vessels Act of 2021, all inland vessels exceeding 10 metres must be built and maintained in accordance with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) standards. 

"It is a matter of utmost public importance to immediately disclose how many vessels in Goa operate without IRS certification and how many are operating without meeting minimum safety standards," he demanded. 

Patkar set a 15-day deadline to CoP to put safety measures in place across all the cruise vessels, failing which he has threatened to stage a protest.

The fire incident, reported last Saturday, occurred around 5:15 am but swift action by fire personnel and officials from the Captain of Ports prevented what could have been a major disaster.

The boat, equipped with air conditioning and other amenities, fortunately did not have any passengers or crew on board. Preliminary reports indicate the fire was caused by a short circuit.