Goa Shipyard Ltd and Seven Islands Shipping Ltd, are said to be separately planning to undertake ship building and repair operations at Mormugao Port’s Berth 9 and three barge berths. Earlier the Port Authority had invited private firms to redevelop these facilities for handling cargo, reported ET Infra.
“The tender for redeveloping Berth 9 and three barge berths failed as no bids were received. But Goa Shipyard and Seven Islands Shipping have separately shown interest to build and repair ships from this facility. We are in the process of structuring the project to accommodate both,” a government official said.
Seven Islands Shipping Ltd, backed by Indian born Canadian businessman Prem Watsa-led Fairfax India Holdings Corporation, is looking to invest as much as Rs900 crores to set up a ship repair facility at Mormugao Port, the official said.
The Mormugao Port Authority plans to offer 200-250 metres of waterfront at Berth 9 to Goa Shipyard, located nearby, which is controlled by the Ministry of Defence, on nomination basis (without a tender) as the port authority and the shipyard are government-owned, he stated.
The barge berths area, though, will be offered to Seven Islands Shipping, a private entity, through the tender route for setting up a ship repair facility to avoid audit queries.
It will help the port authority earn steady lease rentals from leasing land and waterfront to Goa Shipyard while the defence yard will have to pay only half the rates set by Mormugao Port Authority per the Policy Guidelines on Land Management finalised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and waterways in 2015.
“The proposal is under discussion,” the official added. Mormugao Port Authority plans to secure environmental clearance ahead of converting the unused cargo berths into shipbuilding/repair facilities.
