Union Shipping and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has staked claim to conceptualising a key ship repair project, the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) of Cochin Shipyard, which was originally conceived and for which pacts were signed during the term of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Mr. Gadkari claimed that it was he who prodded Paul Antony, the then chairman of Cochin Port Trust (CPT); and Commodore K. Subramaniam, former chairman and managing director of Cochin Shipyard, to have a partnership project.
The CPT was making losses and was unable to pay even pensions. So he asked if it could form a joint venture with the technologically strong Cochin Shipyard, which would benefit from it. That was how the idea was given, he said while laying the foundation for the project here on Friday.
However, the project, expected to cost ₹970 crore, was approved during the term of the UPA government when G.K. Vasan was the Union Shipping Minister. The CPT had signed a pact with Cochin Shipyard for leasing out for a period of 30 years 42 acres of land owned by it on Willingdon Island in December, 2012 a good two years before the present National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government came to power. The signing was witnessed by Milind Deora, the then Union Minister of State for Shipping.
A year later, the CPT, CSL and representatives of the port employees signed another agreement on the working and service conditions of the employees at the port workshop that was leased out to CSL for the ship repair facility.
Mr. Gadkari, however, chose to say he was instrumental in forging the idea of the project. K.V. Thomas, MP, who was a Minister in the UPA government, and Paul Antony, now Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) in the Kerala government, were present when he made the claim.
Prof. Thomas, who presided over the foundation laying function, had, in his speech, requested Mr. Gadkari to increase the land lease period from 30 years. He also wanted Mr. Gadkari to appoint a ‘proper’ chairman at the port.
“The entire financial burden of the CPT is caused by the dredging requirements for the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam, which has not done too well,” Prof. Thomas said, seeking the Minister’s intervention.
