AHMEDABAD: Gujarat government is trying to pass the buck over the ambitious rollon, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service project to the Centre, five months after the services were stalled due to technical issues.
At a time when feasibility of the project and selection of Dahej site are itself being questioned, the government has communicated to the Centre on multiple occasions to take over the Ghogha-Dahej ferry project from the state maritime board, said senior government officials.
Issues of siltation and the high cost of dredging at Dahej, estimated to cost Rs 500 crore over a period of five years, have marred the project, they said. The operator of the ferry service, Chetan Contractor, has approached the Centre and the state maritime board to resolve the issue quickly as he claims that the losses faced by him have mounted to Rs 17 lakh per day, according to sources.
Investments mooted for inland waterways
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has recently written to Union minister of state for shipping and chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya that the project is of national importance and since there is a plan to extend the project to other locations including places outside Gujarat, the central government’s participation is needed to smoothly execute the project, said a senior official close to the project.
The Centre is planning to make substantial investments in inland waterways and coastal shipping that would help set up Ro-Ro projects connecting various cities of India and they are well poised to take this project further, he said adding that it would also help reduce the financial burden on the state.
The Ghogha-Dahej project drastically reduces the distance of 360 km and travel time of 8 hours between Saurasthra and South Gujarat, to 31 km and just one-and-a-half hours. It also aims to ease congestion on the state highway circumnavigating the gulf. The Rs 615 crore project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2017. The project has run through a rough weather for last two years with the operator approaching the Centre several times for intervention.
One of the options being explored by the state government is forming a special purpose vehicle for the project with Shipping Corporation of India or other Central ports ministry organizations taking over its management control, said an industry official aware of the matter.
While the centre is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter, the maritime board is exploring other options like relocating Dahej site and re-negotiating the agreement with the operator to allow smaller size of ships that would reduce the dredging cost drastically.
At a time when feasibility of the project and selection of Dahej site are itself being questioned, the government has communicated to the Centre on multiple occasions to take over the Ghogha-Dahej ferry project from the state maritime board, said senior government officials.
Issues of siltation and the high cost of dredging at Dahej, estimated to cost Rs 500 crore over a period of five years, have marred the project, they said. The operator of the ferry service, Chetan Contractor, has approached the Centre and the state maritime board to resolve the issue quickly as he claims that the losses faced by him have mounted to Rs 17 lakh per day, according to sources.
Investments mooted for inland waterways
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has recently written to Union minister of state for shipping and chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya that the project is of national importance and since there is a plan to extend the project to other locations including places outside Gujarat, the central government’s participation is needed to smoothly execute the project, said a senior official close to the project.
The Centre is planning to make substantial investments in inland waterways and coastal shipping that would help set up Ro-Ro projects connecting various cities of India and they are well poised to take this project further, he said adding that it would also help reduce the financial burden on the state.
The Ghogha-Dahej project drastically reduces the distance of 360 km and travel time of 8 hours between Saurasthra and South Gujarat, to 31 km and just one-and-a-half hours. It also aims to ease congestion on the state highway circumnavigating the gulf. The Rs 615 crore project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2017. The project has run through a rough weather for last two years with the operator approaching the Centre several times for intervention.
One of the options being explored by the state government is forming a special purpose vehicle for the project with Shipping Corporation of India or other Central ports ministry organizations taking over its management control, said an industry official aware of the matter.
While the centre is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter, the maritime board is exploring other options like relocating Dahej site and re-negotiating the agreement with the operator to allow smaller size of ships that would reduce the dredging cost drastically.
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