Did Goa government enable the theft of thousands of tons ofRiver Princess? Seems so.
A Writ petition filed in High Court of Bombay at Panjimreveals how the State government did not act despite being made aware of thefact that scavengers were stealing scrap from M V River Princess.
This loss was informed to Calangute police in December 2010,but the police filed an FIR in 2010 against original owner of the RiverPrincess and others only after JMFC Mapusa directed it to do so.
The Goan’s expose (October 20 Cover Story) had revealed thatalmost half of the River Princess was still lying embedded under the sea whichwas further quantified by the NIO Survey (December 1 Big Story). Thecomplainant raises serious questions like why pursuant to the survey conductedby Ericson & Richards that 8000 tone of the material of the vessel wasmissing, did the government not act on a complaint lodged at Calangute PoliceStation.
Calangute police is still sitting on the FIR filed way backin December 2010 following a complaint filed by Dr Ketan Govekar and KashinathShetye.
The vessel was in the jurisdiction of Calangute police andis a government property since Goa government took over the ship under GoaTourism Places Protection Act in 2003.
The complaint stated that material approximately worth Rs6.215 crore have been stolen from the vessel River Princess during and afterthe inspection carried out by government departments like tourism, GCRZMA,navigation, panchayat, inland waterways and salvage companies.
Complainants have also furnished video evidences to thepolice which they claimed was recorded while the theft was being committed.
The complainant had requested to file FIR under section 378,379, 461, 462, 120 B and also under section 34 of prevention of corruption act.
The survey conducted by Ericson and Richards ship and marinesurveyor in its report to the State government has stated that the ship wasweighing 19,361 metric tonnes and 8035 metric tonnes was lost due to thefactors like corrosion.
The complaint filed in 2010 by Govekar and Shetye makeslogic. In 2012 Arihant Ship Breakers had completed the ship breaking job andhad claimed that it had salvaged 11000 tonnes of the ship and sold it as scrap.
The recent survey by the National Institute of Oceanographyhas also raised doubt on the survey report submitted by Ericson and Richards in2011.
