KOCHI: The long-drawn-out saga of Pappy, the lone Vypeen-Fort Kochi passenger ferry, continues with no happy denouement in sight.
For the umpteenth time, the service was disrupted on Wednesday, this time over the alleged non-payment of monthly rent of ₹2.25 lakh to the Alappuzha-based boat owner.
“Dues have run up to ₹6 lakh over the last few months starting November, 2016. I have tethered the boat away and informed the Kochi corporation zonal office at Fort Kochi that the boat will be released for operations only after the dues are cleared,” said Babu Varghese, owner of the boat.
Though the boat belongs to Mr. Varghese, the contract is between the corporation and George Manoj, who was an intermediary in roping in the boat from Alappuzha in the wake of suspension of ferry service following the Fort Kochi boat accident in August 2015. This peculiar arrangement implies that Mr. Varghese receives payment from the corporation through Mr. Manoj.
Mr. Varghese alleged that though the corporation had duly made the payment, the contractor was responsible for the outstanding dues.
Mr. Manoj, however, clarified that except for a bounced cheque for the rent for the month of January, there were no pending dues. “Even the cheque was issued as advance payment on account of the lack of clarity on the date on which the corporation clears the monthly bills and the date on which the payment is to be made to the boat owner,” he said.
According to him, Mr. Varghese did not give prior notice on the withdrawal of the boat, following which he approached the police complaining of arbitrary action by the owner. “He [Varghese] has no agreement with the corporation and as such, has no right to withdraw the boat used by the civic body for public transportation. If anything, he can initiate legal action against me,” Mr. Manoj said.
Meanwhile, the corporation revenue authorities said there were no pending dues on the part of the civic body towards the boat service, and that the row was between the boat owner and the contractor.
Shiny Mathew, Fort Kochi councillor and chairperson of the town planning standing committee, reiterated that disputes between the owner and the contractor were far too frequent. “Usually, the owner approaches me if there are pending dues. This time, however, he did not approach me,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vypeen-Fort Kochi Ferry Passengers Association president Francis Chammany said it was high time the corporation inked a pact directly with the owner, avoiding the intermediary.
“Disruption of service has been far too frequent, and the corporation has been apathetic to the issue. This sole passenger ferry service on the route can be very profitable for the corporation but for its erratic management, owing to which it enjoys little patronage now,” he said.
