Though the slipway was constructed at the Malpe fisheries harbour about two-and-a-half years ago near the third stage of Malpe fisheries harbour, it has never been used.
The slipway was constructed to pull the boats from water to do the repair works, and then push them back into water. The slipway has provision for pulling boats weighing up to 60 tonnes and for parking of about 10 boats. There are about 2,000 boats at the Malpe fisheries harbour.
Some of the equipment at the slipway show signs of being rusted. Wild thorny plants have grown around them due to lack of use.
The slipway, constructed at a cost of ₹2.35 crore on 50 cents of land, has remained unused because of the inability of authorities to decide on whether it should be given to the Malpe Fishermen’s Association for its use and maintenance or tenders should be floated so that private firms could maintain it.
The contention of the fishermen is that if the maintenance of the slipway was given to a private entity, it would impose high fees on the fishermen. However, if it was given to the Association, then it would be able to maintain it and charge low fees for fishermen.
Satish Kundar, president of Malpe Fishermen’s Association, said that the association had urged the Fisheries Ministry several times to provide the slipway on a lease of 15 years to the Association. “But so far we have got only evasive replies. We do not want it to be given to any private party. We have fought so much to get the slipway,” he said.
G.M. Shivakumar, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Malpe, said a feasibility report of the slipway had already been submitted to the Director of Fisheries in Bengaluru. The minor works at the slipway would have to be taken up by the party to whom it would be allotted for maintenance.
A decision on whether to give it to the Association or to float tenders was expected from Bengaluru in a month. “We too want the slipway to be used than remain idle,” he said.
